Luke Barrett medical assistance
Donation protected
Hey folks, we are aiming to help out our friend and coworker Luke Barrett. Many of you know him and many of you don't. He is a hard working humble guy, a hell of a fire fighter and an ok hockey player (sorry bro). I've known him for quite a while now and I don't know any of us out there that can face what he is with such a great positive attitude. I asked him what we can do to help and decided it would be appropriate to set up this page, with his permission. I had him write up a run down of his fire career and how he landed where he is today. We hired him on at Stevensville Ranger District this season and want to help keep him on his feet while he gets his health contained and back on track to get back after it on the line with us. Please read his bio and help out with anything you can!! donate what you can, and if you can't send him some good wishes!
Thanks
Hello my name is Luke Barrett and I’ve been a Wild Land Firefighter since 2008. My first position was a forestry aid on the Initial attack module for the Beaverhead-Deer lodge National Forest, Butte/Jefferson ranger district. I spent 5 seasons working out of the Butte/Jefferson ranger district building towards my dream of becoming a Smokejumper. In 2013 I was accepted to the Smokejumper program at North Cascades Smokejumper Base (NCSB). The 2013 rookie Smokejumper class for NCSB started with 4 rookie candidates and finished with only 2 of us. In 2014 I transferred to the West Yellowstone Smokejumper Base to chase a permanent position and get back to Montana. Fall of 2014 I transferred to the larger Missoula Smokejumper Base still in pursuit of a permanent position and the larger base offered more winter employment opportunities. I was a Missoula Smokejumper from late 2014 until 2018 at which time my Crohn’s disease was becoming more difficult to control. Due to my failing health I decided to leave Smokejumping for a structure fire position so I could have better control of my diet and rest. This unfortunately was not the solution and my condition declined, so I had to medically resign from my position. I took a little more than a year off and attended school at the University of Montana. During my time at UM I ate a very clean hybrid paleo diet and made sure to get sufficient sleep. My Crohn’s disease never did go away but now it felt manageable. I knew if I went back to Smokejumping my health would most likely deteriorate. I missed being part of a Wild Land Firefighter team and with my qualifications and experience, I thought I could be a good addition to a district crew again and be able to manage my Crohn’s disease. Unfortunately, after my first week back I experienced a Crohn’s flair that put me in the Emergency Room. During my visit to the ER they did a CT scan of my abdomen for any signs of a blockage or inflammation. It was this CT scan that located the mass on my left adrenal gland. After locating the mass, the ER doctor requested a follow up CT scan which focused on the left kidney and more specifically the left adrenal gland containing the mass. The results of the scan were substantial enough to warrant a visit to a Urologist for further diagnosis. The Urologist viewed the scan and recommended removal of the mass and further analysis for cancer. Currently I am scheduled for surgery in Missoula at the end of the month, but I am seeking a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Mayo Clinic is one of the top medical institutions in the country and I believe they could treat the mass on my adrenal gland along with a better treatment for my Crohn’s disease. The only downside is Mayo Clinic does not except my Montana health insurance, so the out of pocket cost starts at 5,000 dollars before getting emitted and after that it’s pay as you go. With my compounding medical issues of Crohn’s disease, an adrenal mass, and a round of shingles, I am seeking the top medical professionals at Mayo Clinic for treatment. Thank you for spending the time to read my story and any contribution would be greatly appreciated.
My medical history is as follows; 2006 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, at this time treatments were few and non-effective. In 2008 while running track at Montana State University Billings I experienced a Crohn’s flair which I could not shake. At this point my Gastrointestinal doctor placed me on Humira. Humira relieved my symptoms for a short period but after the fire season and part way through the fall track season my Crohn’s had me mostly incapacitated. I checked myself into the ER at St. Vincent’s hospital in Billings and received intravenous steroids for a week with no significant change in my condition. I was assigned an incredible surgeon Dr. Kathryn Hatch who performed a bowel resection and gave me my life back. With a strict diet and a weekly dose of Humira I was able to achieve remission for several years. In 2015 my Crohn’s was becoming more difficult to manage, forcing me to change my career path. My body built up an immunity for Humira rendering it an ineffective treatment for my Crohn’s disease. Currently I am seeing a team consisting of a Gastrointestinal doctor, Gastrointestinal NP, Urologist, and my primary care physician. As of today, my medical needs are surgery for removal of adrenal mass, post-surgery I am being moved to another medication for Crohn’s, and due to almost nonexistent iron levels in my blood I am scheduled for 2 rounds of iron infusions.
Thanks
Hello my name is Luke Barrett and I’ve been a Wild Land Firefighter since 2008. My first position was a forestry aid on the Initial attack module for the Beaverhead-Deer lodge National Forest, Butte/Jefferson ranger district. I spent 5 seasons working out of the Butte/Jefferson ranger district building towards my dream of becoming a Smokejumper. In 2013 I was accepted to the Smokejumper program at North Cascades Smokejumper Base (NCSB). The 2013 rookie Smokejumper class for NCSB started with 4 rookie candidates and finished with only 2 of us. In 2014 I transferred to the West Yellowstone Smokejumper Base to chase a permanent position and get back to Montana. Fall of 2014 I transferred to the larger Missoula Smokejumper Base still in pursuit of a permanent position and the larger base offered more winter employment opportunities. I was a Missoula Smokejumper from late 2014 until 2018 at which time my Crohn’s disease was becoming more difficult to control. Due to my failing health I decided to leave Smokejumping for a structure fire position so I could have better control of my diet and rest. This unfortunately was not the solution and my condition declined, so I had to medically resign from my position. I took a little more than a year off and attended school at the University of Montana. During my time at UM I ate a very clean hybrid paleo diet and made sure to get sufficient sleep. My Crohn’s disease never did go away but now it felt manageable. I knew if I went back to Smokejumping my health would most likely deteriorate. I missed being part of a Wild Land Firefighter team and with my qualifications and experience, I thought I could be a good addition to a district crew again and be able to manage my Crohn’s disease. Unfortunately, after my first week back I experienced a Crohn’s flair that put me in the Emergency Room. During my visit to the ER they did a CT scan of my abdomen for any signs of a blockage or inflammation. It was this CT scan that located the mass on my left adrenal gland. After locating the mass, the ER doctor requested a follow up CT scan which focused on the left kidney and more specifically the left adrenal gland containing the mass. The results of the scan were substantial enough to warrant a visit to a Urologist for further diagnosis. The Urologist viewed the scan and recommended removal of the mass and further analysis for cancer. Currently I am scheduled for surgery in Missoula at the end of the month, but I am seeking a second opinion from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. Mayo Clinic is one of the top medical institutions in the country and I believe they could treat the mass on my adrenal gland along with a better treatment for my Crohn’s disease. The only downside is Mayo Clinic does not except my Montana health insurance, so the out of pocket cost starts at 5,000 dollars before getting emitted and after that it’s pay as you go. With my compounding medical issues of Crohn’s disease, an adrenal mass, and a round of shingles, I am seeking the top medical professionals at Mayo Clinic for treatment. Thank you for spending the time to read my story and any contribution would be greatly appreciated.
My medical history is as follows; 2006 I was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, at this time treatments were few and non-effective. In 2008 while running track at Montana State University Billings I experienced a Crohn’s flair which I could not shake. At this point my Gastrointestinal doctor placed me on Humira. Humira relieved my symptoms for a short period but after the fire season and part way through the fall track season my Crohn’s had me mostly incapacitated. I checked myself into the ER at St. Vincent’s hospital in Billings and received intravenous steroids for a week with no significant change in my condition. I was assigned an incredible surgeon Dr. Kathryn Hatch who performed a bowel resection and gave me my life back. With a strict diet and a weekly dose of Humira I was able to achieve remission for several years. In 2015 my Crohn’s was becoming more difficult to manage, forcing me to change my career path. My body built up an immunity for Humira rendering it an ineffective treatment for my Crohn’s disease. Currently I am seeing a team consisting of a Gastrointestinal doctor, Gastrointestinal NP, Urologist, and my primary care physician. As of today, my medical needs are surgery for removal of adrenal mass, post-surgery I am being moved to another medication for Crohn’s, and due to almost nonexistent iron levels in my blood I am scheduled for 2 rounds of iron infusions.
Organizer and beneficiary
Benji Hegg
Organizer
Missoula, MT
Lucas Barrett
Beneficiary