Ted Barker
2023 Sandra Sagear Wall of Courage Honoree
In the fall of 1992, Ted was 15 and played football at Plymouth-Salem High School. During the rigorous Two a Day practices he developed severe back pain. The year before during the football season, he had developed a boil on his elbow, as his arm began swelling, he was admitted to the hospital with a staph infection in his arm. Treated with intravenous antibiotics, after a couple of days he was sent home and recovered. Ted’s back pain began getting worse, as the days went on, we took him to the emergency room and he was sent home with an injection for pain, some muscle relaxants and a referral to a spine specialist.
We were unable to have him seen for six weeks. In the meantime, his back pain and spasms intensified. Finally, out of desperation we made an appointment with an orthopedic surgeon that we knew. While being examined his temperature soared to 104 degrees and he was immediately admitted to the hospital. After days of tests and IV antibiotics, an MRI revealed a mass at the base of his spine. He had developed osteomyelitis and had emergency spine surgery, a triple laminectomy, to remove all of the diseased bone.
The staph infection had entered his spine due to a fracture he had in a lumbar vertebra. Diseased portions of three vertebrae were removed. The break in his spine couldn’t be repaired at that time due to the fear of spreading the infection to healthy bone. He was hospitalized for weeks on IV antibiotics and treated by infectious disease specialists. After he was released, he continued with IV medication at home.
Home schooled he was able to complete his semester, coming into school only to attend his chemistry labs with me hanging his IV bag on a clothes hanger. The prognosis was no more sports, possible difficulty walking and eventually a spine fusion by age 35. The next year, unable to play, Ted, cheered for the Salem Rocks from the bleachers.
After graduating in 1994 he attended Grand Valley State University. While there he began conditioning and strength training. Eventually he was able to join the rowing team and compete throughout the Midwest and even traveling abroad to compete in the Royal Henley Regatta in England in 1998. After college he returned to his home town, began a career, married and started a family. He began coaching for the Plymouth Steelers Youth Football where he had developed his love for the game years before.
Ted has devoted over 20 years to coaching and volunteering for leadership roles of the Plymouth Steelers youth football program. Throughout his adult life he has helped and supported a plethora of youth sport programs and mentoring young people.
Inspired by the birth of a Down Syndrome son to his college close friend he became passionate about helping with The Miracle League project. Ted became involved and helped to get the field built behind the PARC allowing hundreds of local physically and mentally challenged youth participate in the team sport of baseball. The other effect of this amazing project was providing a vehicle for other community members and local high school and college students to assist the players to play.
As a member of the Plymouth Rotary AM, Ted helps with the scholarship program for at risk youth in our community to pursue furthering their education.
Ted’s early health difficulties changed his journey. Unable to continue football himself, he helped other kids experience team sports. He ultimately has another spine surgery in 2015to repair his damaged spine.
Submitted by Elizabeth Barker, Ted’s Mother