OCILLA, Ga. (WALB) — A 4-year-old Irwin County boy who has spent 120 days in the hospital battling a cancerous brain tumor is nearing the end of treatment, and his community is rallying around his family with a fundraiser obstacle course challenge this weekend.

McCoy Paulk was diagnosed with medulloblastoma — a cancerous brain tumor located in the fourth ventricle of the brain — in January, after his family noticed something was wrong in the weeks before Christmas. His mother, Maebry Paulk, a nurse practitioner, recognized the symptoms and acted quickly, leading to a diagnosis that would change the family’s life.

How the diagnosis unfolded

Right before Christmas, McCoy began experiencing dizziness, blurred vision and frequent nausea. His family initially thought it could be abdominal migraines.

“When my wife seen that he was having the blurred vision, she’s a nurse practitioner, so she picked up on it pretty quick and knew something else was wrong,” Clint Paulk said.

The family had a CT scan done, which revealed a spot on McCoy’s brain. They were sent directly to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where an MRI confirmed the tumor and doctors indicated it was likely cancerous.

“It was the biggest gut punch that I’ve ever faced in my life,” Clint Paulk said. “You always feel like no matter what’s thrown your way that you’ve got to answer for it and can do whatever to make stuff happen. But when something happens like that, there’s really — I mean, you really just got to leave it up to God.”

Surgery, chemotherapy and stem cell transplants

McCoy underwent a seven-hour brain surgery that successfully removed the tumor. Since January, he has completed 42 rounds of chemotherapy, including three tandem stem cell transplants, and has spent a total of 120 days in the hospital. He has experienced multiple infections, blood transfusions and other complications associated with chemotherapy.

Clint Paulk described the treatment process in two phases. The first three months consisted of chemotherapy treatments. The final three months involved chemotherapy combined with stem cell infusions to help McCoy’s body recover.

“We’re on the very last cycle, and he’s already went through the two rounds of chemo, had his stem cells, and now we’re in the recovery period,” Clint Paulk said.

A doctor recently told the family that McCoy has been the best brain cancer patient the hospital has seen in the past five years.

“He’s took it like a champ,” Clint Paulk said. “All the chemos he’s went through, the nausea, the rashes on his skin, he just never complains. And he’s helped me not complain as much in life because I’ve seen what he’s had to go through.”

The family is awaiting post-treatment scans and a lumbar puncture scheduled for the end of August.

A family stretched across two cities

While McCoy’s mother stayed with him at the hospital in Atlanta throughout treatment, Clint and McCoy’s fraternal twin brother, Cutler, traveled back and forth between Ocilla and Atlanta — balancing work, school and hospital visits.

The family also welcomed a new baby, Riggs, during the same period McCoy was undergoing surgery. Clint Paulk’s mother-in-law cared for the baby at a rental in Atlanta while the rest of the family managed the demands of treatment.

“It’s been very, very tough on me and my wife,” Clint Paulk said.

Clint Paulk said his faith, his church family at Ocilla Baptist Church, and both sides of the family have been his primary source of support through the ordeal.

“I’ve broke down several times. I’ve never broke down like that in my life,” he said. “Before this happened, my wife’s like, ‘I’ve seen you cry like two times your whole entire life. And you’ve cried almost every day.’”

He said his pastor’s words have carried him through.

“Our preacher brother Billy always says, you’re going to be faced with trials in life. God doesn’t promise you you’re not going to have trials. But he does promise he’ll be there with you through them,” Clint Paulk said.

McCoy Strong Challenge set for Aug. 8

Anytime Fitness owners Alexandria and Mitchell Maluda, who have operated their Ocilla gym for five years, organized the McCoy Strong Challenge to raise money for the Paulk family. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 8 at 7:30 a.m. at 101-199 South Cherry Street in Ocilla.

“This is an obstacle course challenge to raise money for the Paulk family,” Alexandria Maluda said. “He is going through some obstacles in his life, and so we only thought that it was right for us to be able to say that this community is walking alongside of him throughout those obstacles. And now the obstacles that he’s enduring is so much greater and so much harder than the obstacles that we’re doing.”

The event features three courses:

• 5K obstacle challenge — 20 obstacles
• Strong Mile challenge — 10 obstacles
• McCoy Kids Course — 5 obstacles, open to children ages 3 to 12; all finishers ring a bell at the end

Alexandria Maluda said the event grew out of a desire to use the gym’s platform to serve the community.

“We knew our mission was to create a healthier community for the Lord’s glory,” she said. “The Lord’s given us a platform, and we do believe that. And just to be able to maximize that, everything that we possibly do is for his glory.”

She said she hopes the event raises awareness as much as it raises funds.

“We don’t have a huge platform. We’re not big influencers, so to speak. But how can we use what God’s given us now to help as much as we can through contacts, other business owners we know, and pull the community to awareness,” Maluda added, Big Creek Plantation, Hudson Pecan Company and Ocilla Baptist Church have been huge supporters in making this incredible event happen!

Community support extends beyond Irwin County

Clint Paulk said the outpouring of support for McCoy has come from well beyond Irwin County.

“Not only Irwin County and Ocilla, but it’s also been surrounding counties. There’s been people in Florida, South Carolina, other states that have contacted us, come to us, donated money, wrote letters, everything that you can think of,” he said. “It’s almost been overwhelming, just the community support, the businesses, individuals, the companies that I do business with and work for.”

McCoy is eager to return to a normal routine. Clint Paulk said his son’s biggest complaints throughout treatment have not been about the illness itself, but about missing home.

“All he complained about is he wants to be home with his brother, swimming in the pool during the summer, and being home with us and not in the hospital room all day,” Clint Paulk said.

McCoy is looking forward to starting pre-K with his twin brother, Cutler, who had his first day of school while McCoy was still in treatment.

“I love him. I’m so proud of him. He’s the strongest boy I know,” Clint Paulk said. “I hope he can make a full recovery. I hope he can start back school very quickly. I’m just hoping we can get back to a regular routine for him.”

How to participate

Those interested in participating, volunteering or donating can reach Anytime Fitness Ocilla through the following:

• Facebook: Anytime Fitness Ocilla or the McCoy Strong Challenge Facebook page
• Phone: 229-796-9040
• GoFundMe: A page has been set up for the Paulk family for those unable to attend in person

QR CODE for registration below and direct link to page.

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