Lakewood Creek Teacher's Husband Fighting Cancer with a Remodel to his Bedroom

When Sam Pavelka moves out of his bedroom and back into a hospital room, the 16x12 space he vacates will be transformed in keeping with his wishes by the flock at 3 Little Birds 4 Life.

Pavelka, a 29-year-old science teacher at Minooka Community High School, is scheduled to have a filter removed from his body that is preventing him from experiencing blood clots during his stay April 2-7 at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

He also is scheduled to have a scan done to see if he is cancer-free.

For the second time in seven years, he is waging a battle against Ewing’s Sarcoma, a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in the bone or in soft tissue. He first was diagnosed in 2005. At that time, he had surgery to remove a tumor from his spine. He underwent chemotherapy treatments and eventually was pronounced fit.

He resumed an active life that included playing golf and pickup basketball. He married his sweetheart. And, then, in the summer of 2012, just days before the school year was scheduled to start, a thunderclap struck him again.

He started feeling pain in his lower back. His worst fears were confirmed: His cancer had returned. His fight for life was moving to Round 2.

Pavelka was referred to a team of experts at Johns Hopkins. During a month-long stay from Dec. 2-31, he had surgery to remove entire sections of bone from his back. He was sent home with painkillers and an aggressive treatment plan.

In the three months that have passed since then, he has remained on leave from school. He has been up-and-around at times and alternately floored by chemotherapy. The treatments have weakened his body—but not his spirit—as evidenced by the feisty nature he displayed when he first contacted 3 Little Birds.

He wondered out loud, “Can you do a makeover for me?”

Pavelka hasn’t asked for much through his ordeal—nor has he needed to because family, friends and neighbors have stood at his side, some bringing in meals, others helping with the day-to-day chores of family life. He and his wife, Cheryl, have two children, Taylor, 3, and Madelyn, 6 months.

Pavelka: 'We'd Never Make it Without Her'

Cheryl works as a first-grade teacher in the Oswego School District.

“We’d never make it without her,” Pavelka said. “She goes to work, does the grocery shopping, the cooking, the laundry, the cleaning—gives both kids a bath, does the bedtime routine.

“She has papers to grade. She finally sits down at 10 or 10:30 at night exhausted. I don’t want to complain to her—as much pain as I’m in, I can’t complain. I don’t want to upset her. I don’t want to be more of a burden on her. Even though she’s not getting the chemo, she’s been there—for Cancer I and Cancer II.”

Pavelka did ask for one thing—relief from looking at the old, blue walls in his bedroom and living with mismatched, hand-me-down furniture. And, when he reached out January, in stepped 3 Little Birds 4 Life, a non-profit St. Louis-based organization founded by Ashley Swip in 2011 after the death of her brother, Tyler Gifford, a victim of melanoma.

The group is dedicated to enhancing the lives of young, adult cancer patients, ages 18-40.

“During his fight with this terrible disease, Tyler was able to experience a perfect day with his favorite team, the St. Louis Cardinals,” Swip said. “In Tyler’s honor, 3 Little Birds now grants cancer patients’ ‘wishes’ that are funded through the donation of money, time and services.”

Ashley’s sister-in-law, Krista, a board member on the Chicago chapter of 3 Little Birds 4 Life, and Wish Champion Lauren Greenwood visited Pavelka at his home in Minooka on Saturday to take measurements in his bedroom and compile their to-do list.

“We’d like to grant Sam’s wish during that time (when he is in Baltimore),” Krista Swip said. “So he can come back from his scan and—not knowing whatever the future holds—at least he can have a fresh bedroom, a nice place. We’d like to do everything on his wish list.

“And we hope that’s possible. I think we’re looking for a new bedroom set, a sitting area to read, a TV and new flooring. A fresh coat of paint. Clean it up.  Get new comforters and everything so it’s a nice retreat for them.”

Nice is a word that Pavelkas have come to use often during his fight to beat cancer—one that succinctly describes their feelings toward others and, yet, barely scratches the surface of their emotional gratitude. They have banners and cards from well-wishers hanging from the walls and ceiling in the stairwell leading from their kitchen to their basement, many signed by Pavelka’s students.

He has been touched by the sentiment.

“When you’re a teacher, they look at you like a drill sergeant, almost like you hate all of them,” Pavelka said. “It’s my role to keep the class in order. I had a lot of students say, ‘Oh, I thought you hated me.’ I’m like, ‘I really don’t hate anybody. Why would I hate a 14-year-old kid?’ ”

Community Rallies Behind Science Guy

Others have stopped by to show support.

“We have been amazed by the outpouring of help for them,” said Pavelka’s mother-in-law, Michelle Forst. “People they don’t even know have helped them out. Neighbors—to this day—bring them meals. And, this makeover, oh, my God, for Sam and Cheryl, too.

“She has just been—I am amazed at my daughter’s strength. It’s going to give her a big boost, too.”

Pavelka returned to Minooka High School two weeks ago for an awards night assembly. His intent was to mingle with friends. His takeway was the knowledge people are rooting for him.

“I was depressed,” he sad. “So, I’m like, ‘You know what, I’ll go back to the high school. That usually boosts my spirits.’ I wanted to blend in the background, see a few teachers, say ‘hi’ and just be there. It’s hard, though, to blend in when—I was bald. I had to wear a mask, gloves. I had to use a walker.

“When I’m on chemo, if I go to the school, I have to wear a mask. I have to wear gloves. And I had a special ‘comfy’ chair because I can’t sit on the bleachers. So, I stuck out. I didn’t blend in at all.

“The first thing the emcee said was, ‘Mr. Pavelka is here today.’ And they gave me a standing ovation. All 1,200 kids and the teachers—they had tears in their eyes. I was like, ‘Wow! I wasn’t expecting this.’ ”

Pavelka’s wish will be the first granted by the Chicago chapter of 3 Little Birds.

More information about 3 Little Birds 4 Life can be found at http://3littlebirds4life.org. People interested in making a donation can contact Ashley@3littlebirds4life.org.

COMING WEDNESDAY: Log on at 6 a.m. Wednesday and listen to Sam Pavelka as he explains why a bedroom makeover is so important to him. Also, find out what the 3 Little Birds get out of their volunteer work.