Travel and Treatment Expenses

The man in the picture below is one of the strongest and most courageous spirits I’ve ever known in my life. He’s a friend, confidant, father, son, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin, fiance, and an Army Veteran who fought for our freedoms. Sean’s battles have been many since serving three years in the military and being called back for active duty deployment to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia on January 31, 1991. He arrived in Saudi Arabia on February 19 and was severely injured in the military barracks that were blown up by a scud missile attack on February 25, only 6 days after arriving. Sean made a promise to me that he would return from the war alive. He kept that promise, but life as he knew it would never be the same. Sean’s battle from the wounds of war have continued and now he faces the war on cancer. He was diagnosed with a brain glioma on May 16th.
“Seconds before the barracks was hit, the light went out. There was a sudden hole in the ceiling and a white flash. People were moaning and screaming in agony. I felt a cold, but yet, hot wind. I felt a burning in my arms, and when I looked down, I saw open flesh and blood running down my arm. I didn’t realize how badly I’d been injured until I ran my hands across my shirt. It was bloody and wet, and then I realized I’d been hit hard. My arm was blown wide open. (Pieces of shrapnel hit his arms and also entered a lung.) Others were holding what was left of a leg or an arm.”
Sean was in shock, began wandering through the compound, and was eventually found by two fellow soldiers who had been looking for him. As they approached him, he collapsed. They rolled him under a 5-ton military rig as they awaited the 85th Medivac medics to respond. He was taken to the hospital in Dhahran where he underwent extensive surgery to repair a collapsed lung and damage to his shoulder. Sean’s condition was critical and all we could do from home was to pray and hope he would survive. His injuries were extensive and he was not able to be transferred out of Saudi Arabia. Sean was eventually transferred to a military hospital in Germany and returned to the Dwight D. Eisenhower Medical Center in Ft. Gordan, GA on March 13, 1991.
Sean spoke one of the most profound statements ever …when he said …(in response to his reaction to the scud missile attack)… “You don’t think of fear. You don’t think of death. You think of surviving.” And that is exactly how he wants to battle his cancer. Sean has been doctoring at the Barnes Jewish Medical Center in St. Louis, MO and has been researching other cancer clinics who offer a combination of medical and holistic treatments that support the medicinal process with additional focus on quality of life while battling this disease. Due to our government and Obama Care regulations, Sean has hit road blocks because of his Medicare and Tricare insurance coverage. Unfortunately, Cancer Treatment Centers of America have been forced to deny treatment to anyone who has Medicare or Tricare, leaving patients with no choice in their treatment options. An American veteran, who nearly died fighting for our freedoms, has been told he has no freedom in his medical treatment options because of governmental reimbursement decisions.
Sean’s official diagnosis is an oliodendroglioma, grade 3, inoperable, with mutations that are favorable in terms of response to treatment. He deserves the right to choose his treatment facility and options. He deserves the right to incorporate comprehensive treatment to help him with this battle. A GoFundMe page has been established to help defray the costs of travel expenses and treatment costs that are not covered through his insurance. Sean has a strong support system in place and we are working together to support him through his journey. Any donations made to this page will go directly to easing the burden of uncovered treatment and travel expenses. We appreciate your support and will continue to share his journey on a CaringBridge website at: www.caringbridge.org/visit/seanbrightman.