Brycen Brant Physical Therapy Fund

My name is Brycen, this is me when I was 9 years old and this is my story!   When I was 9 years old I suffered a massive stroke, on halloween day, of all days.  Not that any day is good to have a stroke but halloween is really not a good day.   I don't remember much about my time at the hospital but what I do remember is not being able to move my right arm and my right leg.  Everything was very confusing and I knew something was very wrong but didn't know what was happening to me.  After several brain surgeries the surgeons were able to fix what caused my stroke and I began my journey to recovery.  Here are a few pics of me in the hospital.









Click here for a link to a Sunsentinel article about my stroke

My road to recovery has been very difficult, challenging and rewarding all at the same time.  I had to start all over and learn to do everything again.  I spent weeks learning to brush my teeth and take a bath myself, all while using my left arm.  I couldn't walk, so I had to learn to use a wheelchair and I needed help moving from place to place.  Slowly and I mean slowly, my right arm began to start doing what I told it to do.  It didn't work very good but it began to work and thats what I focused on.   I remember the surgeon telling my family that it would be up to me, if I would ever walk again.  Everyday for 2 months, while in the hospital, we had therapy learning to get dressed, learning to walk, and learning to be normal again.   This is me going through therapy trying to walk.



 

My brain felt like it was working but my legs were'nt listening to me.  That was very frustrating!  During the course of my 2 months in the hospital, I had ups and downs but I made improvements.  The only thing I wanted at the time was to get out of the hospital and see daylight again.  After a lot of hard work, I was released from the hospital.  This is me leaving Joe Dimaggios.


I didn't walk out of the hospital liked I'd hoped but I was out and still determined to ditch the wheelchair.   A few weeks later, after I got out of the hospital I was able to graduate to walking with the help of the walker and I ditched the wheelchair, for the most part.

After 4 years of physical therapy, going 2-3 times a week, I slowly learned to walk without a walker and without a brace.  I became independent and recovered full use of my right arm.  My right leg and right foot still doesn't work properly, but I can walk.  I walk with a funny limp but I get around on my own and I don't let it stop me doing things that I want to do.  

I learned to ride a bike again.


I've learned karate!


I've learned to surf!


I love paddleboarding!



I know that I have come a long way but there are a lot of things I still want to do.  My disability hasn't stopped me on a lot of things however it has caused some problems with the way that I walk.  I have developed a lot of aches and pains from my ankle to my hips, still, that won't stop me.  I hear the whispers and people laughing yet that won't stop me.  My mind doesn't work as fast as others but I have been able to maintain honor roll grades throughout middle and High school while taking AP and honors classes.  As a sophmore in high school, I joined the wrestling team and haven't won a match, yet that won't stop me.  

As I become a young adult, I have aquired other dreams.  I want to go to the University of Florida and earn a degree.  I want to become a firefighter like my dad, so I joined the Palm Beach Gardens firefighter Explorers.  I have learned to perform a lot of the firefighter skills though I do things different and I'm probably not that good.  I have to learn to adapt to my disability and figure out how to do the things without the use of my right leg .  I recently completed the firefighter combat challange in a competition for firefighter explorers.  I didn't win the competition however I completed the course without falling and beat my best time by 3 minutes.  This is me going through the course.





I didn't break any records but I finished!

I recently began googling treatment and different surgeries that could help me regain the use of my leg.  I have become more determined then ever and I refuse to accept my disablilty.  I never ask why this happened to me and I'm only willing to look forward.  

Somehow google has led me to a place called Paley Institute.  It's an orthopedic institute run by this world renowned doctor where people come from all over the world to see him.  On our first visit, he was convinced that he could re-train my brain and help me through, you guessed it, a lot more therapy.  However something was different,  this is not a normal doctor and it doesn't sound the same coming from him.  

So I began physical therapy at Paley institue!  From the first visit, I could tell my physical therapist, Toni, was just the therapist I needed.  Toni is very detailed, very challenging, very thorough and very determined, like me.  For the last 3 weeks, we have made a lot of improvements and at times, I am able to walk normal, although it doesn't feel normal, she says it's normal.   Every session, I use a device that electrically stimulates my brain and muscles and every session I am able to control my leg better than I ever have.  I am finally seeing improvement!  The problem is when I go home, my leg doesn't listen to me anymore.  So I am told, my brain wants to listen and does listen when electrically stimulated but doesn't know how to listen without the electrical stimulation.




The hardest thing to understand as a kid, is how insurance works.  My parents have health insurance that they pay for every month but insurance only covers 20 physical therapy visits per year and doesn't cover equipment that has proven to help me.  For 2-3 years my parents have paid out of pocket to provide me physical therapy and they keep paying for this thing called insurance.  Maybe because I'm still a kid, I just don't understand how insurance denies people treatment.  

Now, my parents are being faced with a decision, to buy a very expensive device that has been denied by our insurance company. The device is called The WalkAide or Bioness device.  It is an electrical stimulation device that I wear everyday and it helps my brain contract muscles that I can't control on my own.  Very similar to what I use in our therapy sessions.  These doctors and therapists strongly believe that this type of device will help me tremendously.  Also I know I will require more than 20 physical therapy visits, which is what the insurance company covers and then my parents will have to pay out of pocket after that.  I am currently going to therapy 2-3 times a week.  I am convinced insurance companies are not set up for kids to have a stroke and I truley feel the only thing in my way of regaining the use of my leg is money.

It is important to me, that you know, that my parents are not poor and not struggling.  They are not rich but they are not poor.  They have provided me with the medical treatment that I have needed so far and have somehow saved some money for my college education.  They have also saved some money for a used car when I turn 16 in a few months.  My parents have been through a lot and I have seen the pain all of this has caused them.  

So here I am today, 15 years old, more determined than ever asking for your help.  I am asking for your help with my journey.  I'm asking for your donation of any amount. There is no such thing as a small donation.   Your donation will go to help my parents purchase the device called the Walkaide or Bioness L300 and provide me with the physical therapy I need to regain the use of my right leg.  If you decided to help, I will probably never be able to repay you, however I will forever be grateful and I will not let you down.  With your help, nothing will stop me.

Brycen

Learn more about the WalkAide System here

Learn more about the Bioness device click here