On July 12, 2018 (age 15) Braden was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a rare bone cancer. He went through 10 months of chemotherapy and had a limb salvage surgery that removed his patella and 1/2 of his femur. During the 10 months of treatment, he had to be hospitalized Mon-Fri, 3 weeks out of every 4 to receive my chemo's.  After 10 months of treatment and a limb salvage surgery, he was declared NED (No Evidence of Disease).

For a year there was no sign of cancer in his body, but in June of 2020, we saw that the cancer had come back. This time it had metastasized to his left lung. We were shocked because the original tumor had responded so well to treatment. After a thoracotomy on both lungs he would undergo another 9 months of 2 new chemos, staying Mon-Fri in the hospital for 2 out of every 3 weeks. After this series of treatment, he was declared NED again.

He stayed in remission until his 1-year scans in December of 2020, and this time it relapsed in his right lung. Following another thoracotomy, he was told that there is no "third line of treatment" for his cancer. He was lucky enough to get into a trial that had just come out for osteosarcoma which had shown promising results in canines. Dogs who naturally developed the disease were treated with this medication, and it showed favorable results.

He decided to give the trial a shot. It lasted 11 months, and again on his one year scans February 2nd, 2023 they found another nodule in his right lung.  He went to MD Anderson to see about getting into a trial, during their CT scan done on 2/27/2023 they found another nodule in his left lung.  We spoke with one of the leading doctors in the country, and they have a trial that makes sense to us for this stage of his cancer.  It is in Cleveland, OH at the Cleveland Clinic.  We live in central TX, and Braden will be having to travel to Cleveland and stay 5-6 weeks there the first round, and then will get to come home for a couple weeks, and then will go back up for 2 thoracotomies, that will keep him in the ICU and the hospital for 7-10 days each surgery.  After both surgeries, he will come home, but will still have to go back to Cleveland for treatment every month.  He is currently on SSDI, trying to finish high school because of missing so much due to all of his treatments and hospital stays.  SSDI does not give him enough for travel, food, any other costs that may come with having to go out of state every couple months for 2 years, and then these first 3 months pretty much living there.  That is why we are doing this fund raiser for Braden. 

We have a Facebook page for Braden that is JamesBradenStrong.  You can see pictures and his story there from the beginning.  Braden is one of the most caring, kind hearted young men you could ever meet.  He has been apart of many of fundraisers for other kids battling cancer like himself.  He does the "next right thing" more than most people I know.  We are devastated yet so grateful that there is another trial that he qualifies for.  Please keep him in your prayers and good thoughts... He has another battle ahead of him. 

You can also contribute to his cause by purchasing one of his merchandise pieces regarding fighting cancer at Bradens website. Please share this, and if you don't know his story, we would love for you to look at his FB page. Thank you all for your support.