If you’ve frequented the Richmond, Maine area you’ve probably met Bree around town. She worked for 6 years as a cashier at Exit 43 and is now employed at Charleen’s in Richmond. You may also know her if you went to Morse High in the 2000ish era. She’s just a tiny little thing, maybe 5 feet tall. She’s full of spunk and usually has a cute little mischievous side smile and a quick-witted joke. Her forearms are a little shorter (and if you look closely, are covered in surgical scars).
Bree’s been out of work since January and needs urgent surgery on her hand at a specialist in Florida. She has household and medical bills piling up and has been posting recently looking for odd jobs to make extra cash to help make this affordable. Bree is a proud, independent woman. Taking “hand outs” is not what she wants to do, but I talked her into trying this because I know so many people love her and want to support her and I’ve seen this platform make miracles happen! ❤️
I met Bree when I was a freshmen at Morse High School in Bath, Maine. She was just a tad older than me and was friends with my friend Jenn, so we would hang around each other in the mornings before class in “the pit.” She was quiet in that intimidating way yet very blunt when she had something to say. A very no-bullshit kinda girl. It seemed to me like she had a very big wall up, built brick-by-brick by cruel, ignorant kids saying dumb, hurtful things—mostly kids that just didn’t fully understand the impact of their words yet, but probably a few who did. (If you were one of them now’s your time to make amend$).
I was determined to get on the other side of that wall she put up.
Breann was born with a rare congenital disorder called Thrombocytopenia-Absent Radius (TAR Syndrome), characterized by the bilateral absence of the radius bones in the forearms and low platelet counts.
Due to this disorder Bree spent much of her childhood in and out of hospitals being the subject of research studies and having surgeries (30+) with around 10 in her adult life. Bree had an amazing pediatric hand doctor in Maine but as the years progressed and she became an adult, Boston became the next hot spot for countless surgeries on her arms and hands. These surgeries only made things WORSE. Bree found herself with a finger that doesn’t move and a retired hand doctor.
Some have asked why not a Doc in Maine? Here’s just one example: Bree had to have a nerve test done for pre-op. She went to our local hospital, and the tech took one look at her and said, “No, I can’t do this. Your anatomy is different. I wouldn’t know where to begin.” Post-op, she goes to have an x-ray, and on good ‘ol MyChart, and I’m quoting here, “There appears to be a congenital deformity of the forearm with a foreshortened radius and a possible absent ulna.” Um, what? Try again; you have it backward. It is called ABSENT RADIUS, after all. So, long story short, Breann NEEDS to be seen by a specialist for this (this specialist is in Florida), and if you love her like I do, you’ll chip in to make sure that happens.
NO AMOUNT IS TOO SMALL!! Spare your morning cup of coffee and make one at home. $5 x 50 = $250.00. If we all chip in, we can help make this happen. If you can’t donate, maybe just share this?
Bree’s sister, Jessica, started the hunt for a doctor who specialized in rare conditions And found Paley Institute. A hospital in Florida that specializes in TAR syndrome and limb lengthening. They not only KNOW what her condition is but see it on a regular basis.
In January 2026, Bree finally underwent surgery to fix her finger that no longer worked at all and the excruciating pain in her wrists. Everything went well. Jess went down with Bree for support, and they stayed in Florida for just over a week with pre-op and post-op appointments. They had planned and saved for this trip for a year and made the best of it while they were there.
Breann is now a month and a half post-surgery, and she isn’t healing right. If her finger is out of the brace, it gets dark, making her unable to use it. Her doctor suggested a bone graft and said that while it wasn’t an “emergency,” it needs to be done before mid-April. So they will once again need to travel down to Florida for 10 days. Something completely unexpected and she is unprepared for this time around. Bree has Medicare but these surgeries have still put her thousands of dollars in debt. Not only that but she isn’t able to really work right now, she’s trying to because she has no other choice.
This is where you and I come in! You can help her make this a stress free and even maybe somewhat relaxing experience. Just hit that donate now button! ❤️
If you’re still reading this far. Back to high school. Obviously in the first few months, I was able to jump that wall she had built and Bree and I did in fact become the best of friends. Bree drove a jacked-up GMC Jimmy; she’d pick me up in that beast, and it was the best. We’d blast a lot of Tupac back then, such badasses. Behind the wheel of that big vehicle, she had a different light about her. I have some wonderful memories with her in my teen days. I also have one horrible one that lingers to this day. We were hanging in “the pit.” If you know Bath or Morse, you know what the pit is. It’s essentially a big hole with concrete bleachers all around and a metal guardrail that goes around the entire thing. Bree was sitting on that guardrail, like any of us would and did every day. Only this time, she lost her balance and slipped backward. I think due to her disability, she was unable to grab the bars to save herself. We all watched in horror as she fell backward about 10 feet and landed on her head/neck on the hard basketball court floor inside the pit. The paramedics came and assessed her, put her on a gurney, and then had to lift her out of the pit (there are no stairs down to the basketball court, or at least none the paramedics could use), and back to the hospital she went for probably the thousandth time in her life. By this time, hundreds of students had gathered and were watching everything. I heard some students saying some very unkind things about her appearance, the cruel nicknames we had all heard before—WHILE SHE'S BEING CARRIED OUT ON A GURNEY!! I may have landed myself in the principal's office that day. After the fall she was ‘ok’ but in a neck brace for a long time and I’m sure a lot of pain. Absolutely no fun.
So ya, she’s been through it ALL, for far too many years! Again, please.. if you haven’t yet. Hit that Donate Now button!
They also both have Venmo: (@Jessica-Mailly or @Bree-Hale-1), and we would be incredibly appreciative of your help.
Words from Bree’s sister Jess: “We will find a way to pay it forward when we can. Helping my sister retain as much independence as possible for as long as possible is important to me, and giving me the gift to ease the burden on her right now means more than I think anyone realizes. ❤️ We appreciate you all and thank you for showing the love and support you have.”
Please, PLEASE if you haven’t yet, for the love of GOD , hit the DONATE NOW button! ❤️
”Let’s change the way we eat, let’s change the way we live and let’s change the way we treat eachother” -Tupac