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My nephew, Brayden Rydell, has had a very difficult life. At 8 years old, he was diagnosed with AML and ALL (two separate types of Leukemia). At this point my sister, Brenda, and her family lived in California and Brayden was treated at UCLA. His 6 month old sister, Blair, donated her bone marrow and saved his life.
After Brayden was in remission, Brenda, my brother-in-law (Bob), Brayden, and his two sisters (Brynnan and Blair), moved to Horn Lake, MS to be closer to our parents and my family, as well as to be close to St. Jude. It was a good thing that they made this decision, because when Brayden was 11…both types of Leukemia returned. And once again, Blair (she was 3 years old this time) donated her bone marrow and saved his life once again.
Then, at 17, the leukemia came back again. I know, UNBELIEVABLE!!! This time St. Jude’s decided to try bone marrow from someone that was not so close, biologically. They did a nationwide search and found a match. After this bone marrow transplant, Brayden was in remission, once again.
At 20, the leukemia returned again. St. Jude’s decided not to do a transplant this time. Instead, they just did an infusion of the same person’s cells. Fortunately, this did the trick.
I wish there was another, much stronger, word that I could think of other than unbelievable. After all these years of fighting cancer, last March, when Brayden was 23, he was walking his bicycle on the side of the road. A drunk and high driver hit him so hard that the guy’s car was undrivable. First of all, the guy was driving his girlfriend’s car, he was uninsured, drunk, high, had weed in his car, AND after hitting Brayden, he took off on foot. Brayden was in a coma for 12 days, had four skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, a severe head injury, and two HORRIBLY fractured legs that required several surgeries. He has almost completely recovered from all of this, although he’ll never win a race, or run for that matter.
I don’t know how, but every time anyone sees Brayden, he ALWAYS has a smile on his face. Never do you see him “down” and he has more reason than anyone I have ever met to be mad at the world. But that’s not him.
Fast forward now to February 2015…Brayden is 24 years old. He started having some issues with his eyes. The eye doctor knew immediately that there was a problem and told him to go back to St. Jude’s hospital to get a diagnosis. After extensive testing it was found that he has FOUR leukemic tumors; two around his eyes and two elsewhere in his body. Because he is 24, St. Jude’s has sent him to other doctors to seek treatment. My sister has had to quit her job to care for him. He has already had several days of chemotherapy and has much more to come. He will once again have to go through a bone marrow transplant. This time, his father, Bob, will provide the marrow, which also means time off work for him.
It is absolutely incredible to me that one person should have to endure such a life or that two parents should have to watch their son endure such a life. Sisters should not have to watch their brother, Grandparents should not have to watch their grandson and Aunts and Uncles should not have to watch their nephew. Brayden was dealt a crappy hand in life, yet there is not a more positive kid around than him.
Because St. Jude’s is not involved this time around and my sister and Brayden both had to quit their jobs…help is needed. Asking for help does not come easy for my family. His father, Bob, is working thousands of miles away just to make ends meet, and that’s just not cutting it. Bob only gets to come home one weekend every 5 or 6 weeks. Since St. Jude’s can not treat Brayden (because he’s an adult now) there are doctor office expenses, chemotherapy expenses, radiation expenses, hospital expenses, etc. Then in about a month, Bob and Brayden will go to a hospital in St. Louis to have the bone marrow transplant. When that time comes there will also be hotel expenses for Brenda and Bob while Brayden is recooperating in the hospital. Please help if you can.
After Brayden was in remission, Brenda, my brother-in-law (Bob), Brayden, and his two sisters (Brynnan and Blair), moved to Horn Lake, MS to be closer to our parents and my family, as well as to be close to St. Jude. It was a good thing that they made this decision, because when Brayden was 11…both types of Leukemia returned. And once again, Blair (she was 3 years old this time) donated her bone marrow and saved his life once again.
Then, at 17, the leukemia came back again. I know, UNBELIEVABLE!!! This time St. Jude’s decided to try bone marrow from someone that was not so close, biologically. They did a nationwide search and found a match. After this bone marrow transplant, Brayden was in remission, once again.
At 20, the leukemia returned again. St. Jude’s decided not to do a transplant this time. Instead, they just did an infusion of the same person’s cells. Fortunately, this did the trick.
I wish there was another, much stronger, word that I could think of other than unbelievable. After all these years of fighting cancer, last March, when Brayden was 23, he was walking his bicycle on the side of the road. A drunk and high driver hit him so hard that the guy’s car was undrivable. First of all, the guy was driving his girlfriend’s car, he was uninsured, drunk, high, had weed in his car, AND after hitting Brayden, he took off on foot. Brayden was in a coma for 12 days, had four skull fractures, bleeding on the brain, a severe head injury, and two HORRIBLY fractured legs that required several surgeries. He has almost completely recovered from all of this, although he’ll never win a race, or run for that matter.
I don’t know how, but every time anyone sees Brayden, he ALWAYS has a smile on his face. Never do you see him “down” and he has more reason than anyone I have ever met to be mad at the world. But that’s not him.
Fast forward now to February 2015…Brayden is 24 years old. He started having some issues with his eyes. The eye doctor knew immediately that there was a problem and told him to go back to St. Jude’s hospital to get a diagnosis. After extensive testing it was found that he has FOUR leukemic tumors; two around his eyes and two elsewhere in his body. Because he is 24, St. Jude’s has sent him to other doctors to seek treatment. My sister has had to quit her job to care for him. He has already had several days of chemotherapy and has much more to come. He will once again have to go through a bone marrow transplant. This time, his father, Bob, will provide the marrow, which also means time off work for him.
It is absolutely incredible to me that one person should have to endure such a life or that two parents should have to watch their son endure such a life. Sisters should not have to watch their brother, Grandparents should not have to watch their grandson and Aunts and Uncles should not have to watch their nephew. Brayden was dealt a crappy hand in life, yet there is not a more positive kid around than him.
Because St. Jude’s is not involved this time around and my sister and Brayden both had to quit their jobs…help is needed. Asking for help does not come easy for my family. His father, Bob, is working thousands of miles away just to make ends meet, and that’s just not cutting it. Bob only gets to come home one weekend every 5 or 6 weeks. Since St. Jude’s can not treat Brayden (because he’s an adult now) there are doctor office expenses, chemotherapy expenses, radiation expenses, hospital expenses, etc. Then in about a month, Bob and Brayden will go to a hospital in St. Louis to have the bone marrow transplant. When that time comes there will also be hotel expenses for Brenda and Bob while Brayden is recooperating in the hospital. Please help if you can.