Joey Davenport,a volunteer at Pettigrew State Park, was  honored in a ceremony at the Park with family and friends after his passing in 2013.

Davenport had been battling terminal Brain and Spine Cancer since he was two years old.

Joey spent his first tn years on traditional chemotherapy treatments. Joey parent’s were searching for anyone to take Joey on as a patient.  Joey’s parents contacted a multitude of Pediatric Oncologists. One Physician was brave enough to take on the task.His name was  Dr. Sridharan Gururangan, a Pediatric Neuro Oncologist at the Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University Hospital.

Gururangan contacted Joe and Becki Davenport on the phone and said that he could not make them any promises with regards to finding a cure for Joey.But he promised to “never give up on him”

Joey had been on countless chemotherapy protocols and had had complete Cranial Spinal Radiation twice. He has spent the past four years in clinical trials.

Surgeons have been successful at surgically removing some of Joey’s brain tumors in the past. However, after the tumors were removed in May of 2012, Joey found out that there was no longer anymore treatment available for him. The Davenports were hopeful that the tumors would remain gone.

However at the very first follow-up MRI, they found out that the tumors were back, and were now much more aggressive. Dr. G., Joey’s physician and friend, had a long talk with Joey and explained that Joey had reached the point where he needed to decide which was more important to him quality of Life or quantity of Life.

Joey immediately told Dr. G. that he wanted to spend what time he had left with his friends and family and do it with “Quality of Life”.
Joey found many things that he can do with the help of friends and family.

Thanks to Pettigrew State Park and all of their employees, his friends, Joey experienced the satisfaction of having a job. Thanks to the help of Hunters Helping Kids Joey found the love of hunting. Thanks to the North Carolina Handicapped Sportsmen Association Joey learned that it is possible to overcome his handicap and find joy and success in a sport that he loves. Thanks to Cassie, Joey’s sister, Joey felt unconditional love and support that compares to no other. Thanks to Marine Paul Nee Joey knew the feeling of friendship and the meaning of honor and bravery. Joey also received a medal from Governor Purdue for his volunteer work.
Friends and family shared more memories of Joey in the ceremony last week.

“We wanted to get a bench and dedicate it to Joey for the work that he did here. I did not know Joey that well. I got to know Joey really well after my visits to the park. I realized quick that Joey was really smart and determined,” said Mitchell Patrick,representative  of the Friends of the Pettigrew State Park Group.
Patrick mentioned that Joey was the kind of person that took the hand that life dealt him and went with it.

“He did not let it slow him down,” said Patrick.

Steve Rodgers, Ranger at the Park, mentioned that he was the first person Joey met at the Park.

“He came riding this bike into the Park. His trike. It was about dark. He rode to the lake and then came back by. He asked if he could volunteer at the Park,” said Rodgers.
Rodgers mentioned that Joey had a long battle with cancer ahead but he still worked hard at the park.

Rodgers mentioned that Joey had a nickname “Pockets”.

“He always had whatever he could imagine in his pockets. Whenever I said I wish I had a knife, Joey would ask how many I needed,” said Rodgers.

Rodgers mentioned hunting experiences with Joey.

“He did a lot through organizations like Hunters Helping Kids and other organizations like that. Joey wanted to duck hunt. I loved to duck hunt. When you want to go duck hunting you want to go when it is blowing and rainy and nasty. I did not want to take him out there in that,” said Rodgers.

Rodgers mentioned that Joey did kill two ducks on a hunt with Rodgers.

“Joey did go on hunts later with us. I was trying to protect him but he did not need protected. We were trying to treat him like everyone else. But he was not like everybody else. He was better than most,” said Rodgers.

Dough Lequire was Park Superintendent during Joey’s time spent at the park.

He was a lot of things to a lot of different people. Some people he was a hunting partner. For other people he was a inspiration. He was a student, but he was also a teacher. To use at the Park he was both teacher, student, and friend,” said Lequire.

Another friend worked at Pettigrew State Park mentioned that Joey did not view himself as a volunteer at Pettigrew State Park.

“He looked at it as his job. It is very good of the Friends of the Park that they are dedicating a bench to him. We always appreciate Joey,” said the friend.