Brody Shelby gets firetruck escort as family heads to St. Jude in Memphis
Photo courtesy of Justin Brown Ozark County deputy Justin Brown, left, and his canine officer Rye, visited with Brody and his mom, Bobbie Joe Shelby, last week, delivering gifts from the West Plains Fire Department and Rye’s new “challenge coins.” Bobbie Joe later thanked Brown and Rye. “Brody really loved it! Anything to lift his spirits for a little bit warms our hearts.”
Photos courtesy Marilyn Tilley Several Ozark County emergency-responding agencies and fire departments, led by the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department, Timber Knob Volunteer Fire Department and Ozark County Ambulance, escorted Brody Shelby and his family from their Spring Creek home to Gainesville as they departed Sunday afternoon for Memphis, where Brody will undergo treatment for a malignant brain tumor.
Walley attaches the honorary chief’s pin to Brody’s shirt as he holds the white chief’s helmet the department gave him. Walley, a captain with the Lick Creek VFD, also serves with TKVFD.
Timber Knob VFD chief Ruby Winslow, right, shown here with Brody and his mom and stepdad, Bobbie Joe Shelby and James Walley Jr., named Brody an honorary TKVFD junior chief Sunday before the family left for St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
Springfield Fire Chief David Pennington, right, and Executive Officer Jason Strong presented Ozark County resident Brody Shelby, 9, with a certificate, below, naming him an honorary Springfield firefighter. Brody is the son of Bobbie Jo Shelby and stepson of Lick Creek Volunteer Fire Department Capt. James Walley Jr.
Photo courtesy of Gainesville VFD The Gainesville VFD used their ladder truck to hang a massive American flag across Highway 160 for Brody to view as he and his family traveled from their home near Spring Creek to St. Jude’s Hospital in Memphis.
Nine-year-old Brody Shelby on Sunday was named a junior firefighter chief by Timber Knob Volunteer Fire Department chief Ruby Winslow. The honor followed Brody’s designation as an honorary Springfield Fire Department firefighter last week by SFD chief David Pennington and SFD executive officer Jason Strong. Pennington presented Brody with the certificate when he and his mom, Bobbie Jo Shelby, and stepdad, James Walley Jr., were in Springfield for a checkup a week after his brain surgery Dec. 15 at Mercy Hospital. Memorabilia, patches and other recognitions have poured in from several other fire departments from all over the country – and from as far away as South Australia – after Walley shared Brody’s story in online firefighter groups.
At last week’s checkup, the family learned the results of the biopsy of the Brody’s brain tumor, and it was hard news. “It’s a grade 4 glioblastoma,” Walley told the Times Saturday. “Without treatment, they say we have 12-18 months.”
Sunday afternoon, several emergency-responding agencies, including Timber Knob Volunteer Fire Department and other VFDs, as well as the Ozark County Sheriff’s Department and Ozark County Ambulance, escorted the family from their Spring Creek home to Gainesville as they left for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis. They don’t know how long they’ll be there, Walley said, adding that “St. Jude is still working on treatment options, but we are looking everywhere for clinical trials as well.”
Brody’s cancer is not curable, Walley said. “Treatment will just buy us more time, if his little body can handle it.”
In naming Brody and honorary TKVFD junior chief, Winslow said, “Anyone who’s brave enough to go through what he’s facing is brave enough to be a junior chief.”
A gofundme.com account has been set up to help the family with living and travel expenses while they are in Memphis. While there is no charge for Brody’s medical treatment and the hospital provides housing for one parent, Brody’s parents have opted to take their two older and one younger child with them to Memphis.
Brody and Bobbie Jo spent several weeks at St. Jude a few years ago, and the disruption to the family back then was something Bobbie Jo didn’t want to repeat. So she and James will need to pay for their own housing and meals while there. To donate, go to gofundme.com and search for “Team Brody.”