Five-year Fight to Walk: Help Brennan Sheely

Every now and then, we are blessed with a friend who transcends all possible expectations of grace, loyalty, and giving. This is how I describe my best friend. Her name is Shannon Sheely, and her youngest son (Brennan, age 12) has somehow managed to embody her grit and compassion even when faced with the unthinkable. This GFM account is set up to help support Brennan and his family beat his bone battle.

September 1st, five years ago, while Brennan and his brother were playing soccer in the yard, an accidental kick to the shin landed 7-year old Brennan in the emergency room. Though the x-ray showed a hairline fracture, what was of greater concern and shock was the bend in his tibia and a benign tumor. This spot (a non-ossifying fibroma) caused his tibia to weaken and eventually fracture from a minor impact in the backyard. This would be the first of many fractures.

For one whole year, Brennan spent his life adjusting to incapacitation; wheelchairs, crutches, and rigid boots became his norm just to move about. Intense physical therapy took over the normally scheduled baseball, soccer, and football practices, games, and playtime with friends. Then, for roughly one year, Brennan was able to be “normal”. This was short lived as another injury set him back in October of 2018 with a re-break of his tibia. Immobilization was the only answer. No running, walking, or playing about like an active third-grader. He tried, but the pain was intense and sharp and constant when attempting any of those activities--yes, even walking. And this is only year three of the pain and setbacks...He tried so hard to be a normal kid.

Then, in September of 2019, an orthopedic specialist determined that Brennan had been living with a severely broken tibia. This break repeatedly split open in the exact same spot, right in the middle of the tumor. It would not heal as it should. Because of this, Shannon and the boys were immediately sent to an orthopedic oncologist in South Bend. With great hope and trepidation, Brennan underwent a complicated, invasive surgery the following month. A large chunk of his bone was removed from the tibia and replaced with cadaver; the bend in his bone was straightened; and his little leg bone was secured together with a 6-inch metal plate and six screws. Recovery was expected to take 3-6 months and a full recovery was expected.

It wasn't to be, though, and shortly after the first surgery another break occurred in the very same place. A second surgery was scheduled for June 2020. This was an experimental surgery to remove bone marrow from Brennan's hip and inject it into several locations surrounding the insidious break. The hope was to "kick start" bone growth. Again, given a recovery period for expected healing, we were devastated to find little improvement. Hopes were dashed for us for so many reasons in 2020.

Then, January 2021 came around and doctors began to see major progression--it was a miracle that his own bone was healing! Intense physical therapy was begun to help regain strength and balance and basically learn how to use his left leg properly. (As if adolescence isn't awkward enough on its own!) But his progress was amazing. I'm sure this is because little B has enough spunk and spirit to share with an entire metropolitan area! He was really doing it and in April was given the "all clear" from his orthopedic oncologist. Brennan's bone growth was looking favorable and he'd only need to see the specialist once a year. To assist with the transition of walking and moving about like a normal kid, Brennan was fitted with inserts by a pediatric orthopedist who diagnosed Brenn with Tibial Tendon Dysfunction. The bowing effect of compensation for years of oscillating between mobile and immobile could only be addressed with custom inserts to help him learn how to properly use his left foot again.

One month later, after all this great news and hope on the horizon, Brennan experienced an incredible setback. He woke one morning with severe swelling, redness, and excruciating pain throughout his tibia. There was no warning. There was no injury. There was no new trauma. Without any improvement over the course of a couple of weeks, a new CAT scan and MRI were ordered for early June.

June rolled around and on the 9th, Shannon, Brennan, and Mayson received the devastating news that inside his tibia were TWO NEW tumors. While the original tumor is still healed and showing no signs of fracture, the excess inflammation indicates these tumors may be growing quickly. Fibrous Dysplasia (new diagnosis) could be an entirely new issue or separate from the original nonossifying fibroma tumor. The only course of action to take is yet another surgery and a MAJOR one at that. It will require another team of specialists in another part of the country. It will demand more courage and strength from our little fighter than he's had to manage before, but we KNOW he is strong and with everyone's support will see this through.

July 1, 2021 is the two-week mark before the trip to Boston's Children's Hospital. An incredible team of specialists has been assembled and agreed to take on Brennan's case. As the orthopedic oncologist in South Bend stated, "these types of tumors rarely require surgery, let alone multiple invasive operations. Brennan's case is complex and very rare." Here's the thing: Little B is rare and the complexity of his situation is not lost on him. For five long years he has handled himself with composure and a positive attitude. Even when the news was devastating, Brennan always searched for the ray of hope to hold onto and charge ahead with the right attitude. This, I believe, is why he healed when things looked grim. This is why he has not given up hope when it would be so much easier to just believe he'd never walk or run or play ball ever again. He is a fighter and a warrior.

This battle is bigger than Brennan, for it is a battle we must all help fight. This challenge of spirit is bigger than just Shannon and her boys, for we can all understand questioning tomorrow and the decisions we've made. But this house is filled with fighters and believers. This family is our family and we must lift them up with all the support we can offer. Never does Shannon or Mayson or Brennan EVER hesitate to offer help or any kind of support when they see a need. Let's all do the same in return and shower them with assistance to get Brennan to Boston and back home again for recovery. The road is long and clearly has been dotted with potholes. Together, we can provide a smooth future free from the stress of mounting bills and insurance claims that have poured in for five long years. July 15, 2021, Shannon will travel with Brennan to Boston's Children's Hospital. Please donate to help ease the burden of bills so that they can simply focus on healing and getting through the surgery.