Brian's fight against Brain Cancer
Donation protected
My husband Brian is currently battling brain cancer; we have two children a fourteen year old daughter and an eleven year old son. What has happened to my husband Brian and our family has been the hardest battle my husband, I, and our kids have ever faced. On April 8th 2020 my husband was transported to the ER and was diagnosed with a larger brain tumor that took over the entire left side of his brain. Brian’s neurosurgeon said, “The tumor is the brain”. Brian’s brain tumor was located in the temporal lobe, frontal lobe, and the insular lobe. Brian has gone through two brain surgeries the first was April 29th 2020, four days after his 40th birthday and the second was July 2nd 2020. My husband Brian has had most of the left side of his brain removed from tumor. Thank god we had the second surgery as the pathology and biopsy report showed the tumor was increasing drastically in cell production. Brian was diagnosed with stage 2-3 Oligodendroglioma. Once the cancer reaches stage four it is called a Glioblastoma. There is no cure for this type of brain cancer, only treatment to prolong life. This is the same type of cancer Jon McCain, Ted Kennedy, and Joe Biden’s son Beau passed away from. This type of cancer is the least funded and the least researched. Over 15,000 people a year die from this type of cancer.
After Brian’s two brain surgeries, chemo and radiation therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and palliative care. Brian is now on his second round of chemo which he will continue until April 2021. Brian has doctor’s appointments every week, blood work once a month, and MRI’s every two months. Brian is in constant pain. Our two children have been through so much, what they have seen their father go through no kid should ever have to watch. The kids don’t fully understand and how could anyone ever expect them to. When I got the call from the ER doctor informing me they found the tumor and I told my kids, my son dropped to his knees praying to god to help his father, and my daughter emotionally broke down, it was the hardest thing to watch my children go through, and I was freaking out on the inside but I could not show it, because I had and have to be strong for my kids and for Brian. Brian use to be so involved and active with our kids and now he physically is not able to be. I pray and hope that he will get to enjoy life again before the cancer decides to start growing faster and stronger.
Brian was the sole provider in our family, he is the smartest, most hard working person I have ever known, he worked so hard to be successful, and he was. Then the cancer happened and everything was taken from him. Brian has memory loss, speech issues, cognitive functioning delays, and he is in physical pain every day. Brian will never work or drive again. I want to share a few of Brian’s favorite things, his favorite band is Aerosmith, he loves NASCAR racing and his favorite driver is Jeff Gordon. Every day when he got home from work the whole family would sent down and watch Ellen. Every week he never missed a Carolina Panthers football game! Brian loved playing baseball with our son and watching our daughter Dance. These are just a few of the things he enjoyed, and enjoyed with the kids before his surgeries.
I have debated doing a GoFundMe page for months because I feel like there are many others who are going through a lot worse than we are, as well as opening up and sharing about my family is very vulnerable and scary. So many friends have reached out wanting to start a fund, but I said no because I felt guilty asking for help, and was afraid to share what is not just my story, but my husband Brian’s and our kids. Our family will be grateful for whatever is donated. Our family is asking for donations to help with private health insurance, and what is not covered by insurance, like prescriptions, MRI’s, and chemo pills, extc. What funds that are not used will be donated to another family going through brain cancer or to Brain Cancer Research.
After Brian’s two brain surgeries, chemo and radiation therapy, speech therapy, physical therapy, and palliative care. Brian is now on his second round of chemo which he will continue until April 2021. Brian has doctor’s appointments every week, blood work once a month, and MRI’s every two months. Brian is in constant pain. Our two children have been through so much, what they have seen their father go through no kid should ever have to watch. The kids don’t fully understand and how could anyone ever expect them to. When I got the call from the ER doctor informing me they found the tumor and I told my kids, my son dropped to his knees praying to god to help his father, and my daughter emotionally broke down, it was the hardest thing to watch my children go through, and I was freaking out on the inside but I could not show it, because I had and have to be strong for my kids and for Brian. Brian use to be so involved and active with our kids and now he physically is not able to be. I pray and hope that he will get to enjoy life again before the cancer decides to start growing faster and stronger.
Brian was the sole provider in our family, he is the smartest, most hard working person I have ever known, he worked so hard to be successful, and he was. Then the cancer happened and everything was taken from him. Brian has memory loss, speech issues, cognitive functioning delays, and he is in physical pain every day. Brian will never work or drive again. I want to share a few of Brian’s favorite things, his favorite band is Aerosmith, he loves NASCAR racing and his favorite driver is Jeff Gordon. Every day when he got home from work the whole family would sent down and watch Ellen. Every week he never missed a Carolina Panthers football game! Brian loved playing baseball with our son and watching our daughter Dance. These are just a few of the things he enjoyed, and enjoyed with the kids before his surgeries.
I have debated doing a GoFundMe page for months because I feel like there are many others who are going through a lot worse than we are, as well as opening up and sharing about my family is very vulnerable and scary. So many friends have reached out wanting to start a fund, but I said no because I felt guilty asking for help, and was afraid to share what is not just my story, but my husband Brian’s and our kids. Our family will be grateful for whatever is donated. Our family is asking for donations to help with private health insurance, and what is not covered by insurance, like prescriptions, MRI’s, and chemo pills, extc. What funds that are not used will be donated to another family going through brain cancer or to Brain Cancer Research.
Organizer
Janell McElhoe
Organizer
Lancaster, SC
