Micheal Barkwick, known to most in Clarendon County as UPS Mike, will have been a driver with UPS for 18 years on Feb. 13. He has spent ten of those years on the Manning route in Clarendon County.
Many of his former delivery recipients have described Barwick as a friend. In 2023, Barwick began struggling with his health. He described the situation, saying, “I had been feeling bad all day on Jun. 6 of 2023. I was exhausted, could not get out of bed most of the day, and was sweating profusely. One of my delivery stops that day was at Low Country Urgent Care on Paxville Highway. I went in the back door to make my delivery and several of the employees noticed my condition. They thought I may be having a heart attack or stroke and hooked me up to an EKG machine. They ran several tests that came back negative.”
The employees at Low Country Urgent Care were still concerned about Barwick and urged him to go straight to the hospital for further tests. “That was the first time I had experienced any symptoms of Leukemia.” Barwick was diagnosed that same day, Jun. 6, 2023.
He was admitted to the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) on Jun. 8 and began treatment with five rounds of chemotherapy and three spinal taps with a direct chemotherapy injection into his spine for the first 35 days of his stay. Barwick was released to go home for five weeks around the middle of July.
Barwick said, “I had a few three or four night stays during this time before I came back for the transplant. I was readmitted to the hospital for the transplant on Oct. 14.”
Barwick had two rounds of chemotherapy along with six rounds of full body radiation before undergoing a stem cell (also known as bone marrow) transplant. The transplant was followed up with two more rounds of chemotherapy. Barwick’s bone marrow donor was a 22-year-old female whose identity is not revealed until a year after the transplant per policy.
Barwick explained his current situation, “I was released in November and have been staying in Charleston at the Charleston Hope Lodge since, I will be here until at least Jan. 22.”
Barwick said, “When I got diagnosed, I had to quit working and Manning and Clarendon County have been so supportive. They have done several fundraisers and donation jars for me. Representative Fawn Pedalino and her husband Joe, Jennifer Casselman from Lucy’s Bakehouse and Steaphie, Elizabeth DuRant, spearheaded so many fundraisers, the 50/50 raffle really raised a lot of money and helped me out. Archie Pierson won the prize from the 50/50 raffle and donated it back to me.”
The list of supporters continues, “Brandy Wheeler from Mill Street Grill, Jen Erickson from Bella Donna all got together to raffle off a gift basket full of gift cards from local businesses. Jennifer Casselman won the basket and donated it to my daughter. I was able to be at Mill Street Grill the night that they held the drawing. It was a wonderful evening.”
“When I got sick and all this happened it just made me realize that as a UPS driver, I have touched a lot of people, and vice versa.”
Several testimonies from people Barwick has met on the job show just how big of an impact he has made:
“Mike is the BEST! He always had a smile and we would always had a laugh when he came in the dealership. If I had a package for my home, he would bring it to the Ford place. He was just that kind of man,” said customer Jenny Welch.
Leighann Witherspoon Hodge from Burger Chick in Manning said, “What a joy he was delivering packages to Burger Chick. He’d always say why do you pay shipping on these packages from Major Dr. (Those were my door hangers from Teresa Scurry) I’d say, we get to see you! Then he’d say, “give me one of them big ol’ sweet teas”. We sure do miss him!!”
“He’s always smiling, always makes it a point to brighten someone’s day, and I love how he is so caring for everyone around him. He has a servant’s heart and UPS was just the “vehicle” he used to serve” said customer Rebbecca Johnson Taylor.
“He was always so upbeat and happy! Our joke was “Hey Mike, what day is it? It’s not Friday!” By the time he was done delivering our packages, we would have laughed 100 times! And he would help himself to a drink (especially those hot summer days), if we didn’t have one by chance, he would say “Dang you be slacking, there better be some tomorrow” and laugh and be on his way. He always made sure we got our packages on our half days (especially cooler items that could not stay on the truck an extended time). I miss my favorite UPS man,” said Amber Beasley.
“I always loved to give him a hard time about taking a break at the tables outside of Lucy’s Traditional Southern Bakehouse! I would tell him I was waiting on packages. He always had a smile on his face and never seemed to be bothered by much. We sure do miss him on Sunset!” said customer Parker Wall Johnson.
“He became my friend by coming to the salon! We started a joke years ago and I would say heyy my favorite UPS man! He would say hey my favorite Hair dresser!! This carried on onto the street, whether I was walking in town or seeing him at Lucy’s!! He is my fav UPS man forever!!!” said Andrea Killman, owner of The Studio.
Ellen Cooper from Ellen’s Nails said, “His upbeat/happy personality and professionalism brightens up everyone’s day while delivering packages. He’d just bust open the door like ‘hey here’s ya package sign here’ then grabs a snack or a drink from ya break room and off he goes to the next stop. We miss Michael.”
Terran Yost from The Hampton Inn said “ He would deliver to the Hampton Inn and make sure to see what’s in the breakfast room that morning! He always had a smile on his face and made sure everyone around him did as well.”
“He’s the type of person that leaves a mark on you. If you don’t know him, trust me before he leaves, you will. Miss seeing him around the station delivering packages. I consider him a friend, always willing to help out. If the package was big and heavy, don’t worry, you got help, he’ll make sure of it. Great friend!” said James Pringle.
Terry Streath said “He loved my pit-mix, Dino. When we were working the summer of 2021 in Joe and Fawn Pedalino’s building at the corner of Brooks and Boyce Streets that we used as CCGOP headquarters, I saw Mike nearly everyday. I brought Dino to work with me and Mike would stop whatever he was doing and love on our boy. Mike is special and I appreciated his time to show my baby love.”
Jennifer Casselman, owner of Lucy’s Bakehouse agrees with all of Barwick’s customers, “Big Mike is and should be an inspiration to us all! Always kind, fun, and supportive!! I love for him to come into the shop even as he came in last week!! We kept telling him he needed to be careful about his exposure to people. He didn’t care, he just loves people! Especially his former clients and customers!! We love Big Mike and pray the best for him!! UPS has no idea how lucky they are to have guys like Big Mike represententing their company!! He is the face of the company!! We love you Big Mike!!”
Barwick described the silver lining to his cancer, “I look at cancer as a blessing in disguise and it just made me see how valuable life is and how much people mean to me and I mean to them at the same time,” said Barwick.
Barwick has developed a new outlook on life and is doing things he has always wanted to do but never taken the time. “When I was sick in January, I bought a food truck for the weekends, just as a hobby for when I get better. I want to be able to donate to certain functions and show my gratitude to the people of Clarendon County. Now I get to drive a race car, it’s always been a passion of mine, I grew up around Sumter Speedway. I have been going to race tracks since I was knee high to a grasshopper. I always go to the drag races in Charlotte every year with my brother and my uncles. I was always around racing whether it’s drag racing or dirt track racing, I have so many friends in the racing community, Sissy and Cody McAllister, Banjo and Stacey Duke. There is always someone I know, always someone for me to talk to.”
Tony Truett is the owner of a local race car and has decided to give Barwick the opportunity to give one of his dreams a chance and allow him to be the driver. “We are looking for sponsors now to advertise their businesses on the car, it hasn’t been wrapped yet.”
Barwick has big plans once he’s in remission. “Since I got cancer I promised myself I will not procrastinate as long as I have the means I want to live my life to the fullest, no regrets” said Barwick.
