LYNN — Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, Tom Barber’s family and friends were going to make sure Saturday, May 2, was a special day for him.
As he sat on his front steps on Moulton Street, his daughter and wife by his side, and his grandchildren playing in the front yard, Barber watched as dozens of cars drove by. It was an emotional and personal parade, led by a Lynn Fire Department ambulance, and with plenty of bells, balloons, and “Team Tom” signs affixed to the cars that honked horns in a show of support for the 64-year-old.
“It’s unbelievable,” Barber said.
He got more excited when the caravan circled the block and came back for a second drive-by.
“I’m speechless, just speechless,” Barber said.
In November, Barber was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, or “Lou Gehrig’s disease.” According to a longtime friend, Lisa Lyons, the Lynn native with a wife, three children, and two grandchildren began experiencing “head” and coordination problems before his diagnosis. A May 2 fundraiser was set up for Barber at the Hibernian Hall, where friends planned to have a party to raise money for him to have his home reorganized with a downstairs bathroom and handicap-accessible ramp. Due to the pandemic of COVID-19, the event had to be postponed, but those who knew Barber weren’t going to let the day pass without doing something special.
About 40 cars parked in a lot across from Sacred Heart Church on Boston Street before caravaning in front of Barber’s home.
“He is a fun, happy, kind, friendly person,” Lyons said. “It’s heartbreaking.”
Although the originally-planned fundraiser had to be pushed back to Aug. 22 — and there’s still a possibility that gets postponed if the pandemic does not relent — Barber’s friends have still been raising money to make his life more comfortable and alleviate his medical expenses.
While they gathered at the Boston Street parking lot, many of them wore “Team Tom” shirts that were sold on-site for $20, or bracelets with football logos being sold for $5. One of the gatherers had made chocolate lollipops the night before in the shape of the “Strike Out ALS” ribbon, and they were passed around during the brief gathering. The talk of the day was “Tom,” a sports-lover, bowler, and self-described “born-and-raised” Lynner.
“They are just such, such good people,” said Cindy Bragen about Barber and his wife, Carole.
Barber and many of his friends are familiar with each other from the American Legion’s William P. Connery Post 6, said Samantha Bartholomew, who helped organize the parade. Even though the fundraiser at the Hibernian Hall was postponed, an online “GoFundMe” campaign has raised more than $3,000 of its $10,000 goal as of this past weekend. It’s not set in stone how much the alterations to Barber’s house will cost, and the current pandemic certainly complicated any plans to have construction done at the Moulton Street property.
“They were just starting to get estimates when (the COVID-19 pandemic) happened,” Bartholomew said.
According to WebMD, most people with ALS live more than three years after their diagnosis, but few live past 10 years. The disease attacks the motor neurons in the brain, which direct the muscles that let people talk, walk, eat, and breathe, and these activities are progressively harder for people with ALS. There is no known cure or vaccine for ALS.
As the caravan passed Barber’s house a short time later, Barber and his family, including his daughter, Rachael Barber, were overjoyed.
“I didn’t expect another drive-by. I didn’t expect it twice,” Barber said.
Bragen, who has known Barber for many years, leaned out the window as her car passed singing the lyrics, “This is my fight song.”
“It’s very emotional,” Barber’s wife, Carole, said. “These are very touching people.”
The ALS benefit for Tom Barber has been rescheduled to Saturday, Aug. 22, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. at the Hibernian Hall, 105 Federal St. There is a $10 donation at the door, and all proceeds will be used to offset Barber’s medical expenses. There will be light refreshments, a cash bar, music by DJ Dennis McCarthy, 50/50 raffle, silent auction, and basket raffles.
Barber’s GoFundMe page may be found at www.gofundme.com/f/47mx4-help-tom-fight-als.
For additional details, or to make a donation, contact Rachael Barber at 781-913-8465 or [email protected]; or Samantha Bartholomew at 617-416-5885, [email protected].
