They first met in the 1970s when they were neighbors in the Westville section of New Haven, CT. Ike Baitch and his wife Adina - Israeli immigrants - had three children: Shachar, Yaron and Tammy. Michael and Jeannine McCann had two: Michele and Sean.
The kids played well together along Lakeview Terrace and Jeannine and Adina enjoyed Mah Jongg, a popular pastime in the predominately Jewish neighborhood. Ike’s kids went to Hebrew Day School and the McCann’s attended Saint Aedan’s Catholic Grammar School.
In time the families moved to other locations in Connecticut and lost touch for about 15 years. Then in early 2013 Mike and Ike had a chance meeting when Adina spotted Jeannine at the Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale in New Haven.
“Jeannine! What are you doing here?”
“I’m with Mike. He has pancreatic cancer.”
“So does Ike!” And so began the bittersweet reunion of the families of Mike and Ike.
The meeting was coincidental because Ike’s chemo therapy sessions were on Thursdays and Mike’s were on Tuesdays. But a temporary scheduling change brought Mike in on Ike’s day and they accidentally met at the infusion center of that big and busy hospital.
The old relationship gradually grew back, made stronger than ever by the glue of a common struggle. Regular phone calls kept everyone informed of Mike & Ike’s progress: changes and side effects of chemo therapy and other drugs, their latest scans, consultations with doctors, and the ever baffling insurance issues. They joined the support groups at Smilow and offered to pray for each other
In 2014 Mike’s family participated in Purple Stride CT, a walk/run fundraiser for the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network dedicated to creating awareness of the disease and to raising funds to find a cure. There is no cure for this deadly cancer. Only 5% of those diagnosed survive for 5 years.
Their Purple Stride team name was “Mike’s Chemo Sabes” printed in purple on their white T-shirts. Purple is the color designated for the fight against this disease. Ike and Adina attended the event and Ike and Mike had their photo taken side-by-side on the stage.
Early in 2015 both families decided they would participate in the Purple Stride event on June 20th under the name “Team Mike & Ike.” Somewhere in the planning process they realized that there was a brand of candy called “Mike & Ike.” Their assortment included a grape-flavored jelly bean called Jolly Joes. As if the name wasn’t coincidence enough, the boxes were purple, another sign that this reunion, this effort to fight a common foe, was simply meant to be.
The old relationship gradually grew back, made stronger than ever by the glue of a common struggle.
The committee wrote to the good people at the Mike & Ike company who were excited by the coincidence and enthusiastically sent 300 boxes of Jolly Joes. This energized the team, their families and friends and especially the staff at Smilow who were caring for Mike and Ike.
But in early May they were all stunned when Ike died from his illness. They all knew the seriousness of his disease but were surprised by the suddenness of it all. He was such a kind and thoughtful man, cheerfully conversational, always doing good for others. They thought they would have more time with him.
At the receiving line at the funeral service Mike gave his condolences to Ike’s son Yaron, who, smiling broadly, said, “We’re going ahead with Team Mike & Ike. We’re going ahead with the plan.”
And so, on June 20th, Team Mike & Ike assembled at Hubbard Park in Meriden, CT. The grandchildren were beaming in their new purple and white shirts, receiving their first purple and white boxes of Jolly Joes.
Adina and Jeannine set up a table to display the candy. Mike’s granddaughter made a poster that had a drawing of the candy donation and a photo of Mike and Ike taken the day of their reunion at Smilow.
And then came the 3.5 mile walk/run event. Mike had done the walk the previous year when Ike, at that time using a cane, had abstained due to a problem with his legs, a neurological side effect of the chemo. Despite having chemo just two days before, Mike decided to do the walk along side his son Sean, a physical therapist.
Things went well until they were about a mile from the finish line. The neuropathy in Mike’s feet accentuated the feeling that he was walking on sponges under the balls of his feet and he began to lose balance so Sean had to hold on to him as they walked. Mike’s sister Kathleen and her friend came out to help. Then about ½ mile out, they were met by Yaron and his sons. Yaron took Mike’s other arm.
Mike was being helped across the finish line by Mike and Ike’s sons, the two boys who once played together in the old neighborhood and were having their own reunion as well. At the finish line there was a large group of people cheering Mike on, some crying, and his 3 and a half year-old granddaughter ran out to lend another arm. It was an emotional moment.
Somewhat embarrassed that he had finished last, and was delaying the group photo, Mike shouted back at the crowd, “Some people will do anything to get attention!”
And then it was all over save for the team photo. They carried Mike in a chair and centered him in the first row. The children, holding their Mike & Ike candy boxes and wearing their matching shirts, looked radiant. They smiled a knowing smile that seemed to say that they were doing something good for their grandfathers and sensed that they were launching a long and beautiful tradition.