Support Brady's Brain Tumor Battle ❤️

I have known Chris Cullen and his wife Amy for over a decade. I have come to know him and his family very well, and I consider him a very close friend. Please read below to learn more about their youngest son, Brady and the incredible fight he is putting up against an inoperable brain tumor.

Brady’s Battle:

Chris and Amy Cullen's youngest son, Brady (their gentle giant), was diagnosed with a brain tumor (Pilocytic Astrocytoma) last August. Due to the tumor being located so close to his brain stem, the doctors have deemed it to be inoperable. In these past 7 months Brady has undergone many treatments with the hope of shrinking/mitigating the tumor...but unfortunately none have worked. The next step in this journey will now be radiation. Brady will undergo this treatment everyday for the next 6 weeks consecutively. In typical Brady fashion, he has been adamant in trying to remain a “normal high school teenager”. He has still maintained honor-roll grades while attending track practice whenever treatment has allowed. Even though he can’t play this season, he’s stayed on with the school baseball team as team-manager.

As his parents, it has been heart breaking to see Brady battle hearing loss, partial loss of function on his right side, and numbness in his face. In addition to this he struggles with constant fatigue, night-terrors, and the nausea from the treatments. What amazes us every day is that when you're with Brady you wouldn’t know that this is his daily battle. He refuses to let this disease get the best of him, or define who he is. He is always more concerned that his condition doesn't impact the others around him. This has always been Brady's nature...when he is in need the most, he's thinking about how he can help the people around him. The strength and love that he displays in the face of life's biggest challenge has been an inspiration to all of us.

The Fight So Far:

After Brady was seen by a doctor for hearing loss, tube procedures were done, which did not work. An MRI was then ordered, which discovered the brain tumor. The very next morning of August 28th, he was admitted to the MGH ER. There Brady underwent emergency brain-surgery to create a new pathway for the fluid around the brain that was trapped by the tumor, to flow freely. Brady was discharged on August 30th and has since endured months of treatments that have taken their toll, without yielding the results we hoped for. He has just entered the start of his radiation treatments, and to the surprise of no one, he has approached them with nothing but pure strength and courage.

About Brady:

Brady is all about family and friends, anyplace anytime and the more the merrier...especially if it includes his older brother Tyler and his sisters Madison and Riley....and I can't forget about his dog, Rocco. Brady especially enjoys hitting his siblings up for what is referred to as “the Brady tax” as they are always taking him to events, or out to his favorite restaurants. Brady likes to cook, but his true love is baseball. Brady is a true Boston sports fan as he loves watching his favorite RedSox players at a game or on tv, cheering on the Celtics in the playoffs, or a young up and coming Patriots team. However recently, Brady’s new found enjoyment is relaxing at his favorite pond and fishing for “Big Moe”.

My Ask of You As a Family Friend:

The Cullen family now needs our help, and more importantly, Brady needs our help. Everyone always says "If you need anything let me know!" and this is a way we can all pitch in to help Brady win this battle and minimize the impact this has had on the entire family. I have talked to Chris many times about the countless medical appointments, the treatments, the travel to and from Boston and all the while struggling to manage work and family demands on top of it. I have also seen the emotional toll this has taken on them as they watch their youngest child face an overwhelming challenge.

Brady will beat this, of that I have no doubt. What I also know for certain is that they need our help. Every single dollar helps tremendously, and every penny raised here will go to Brady’s medical bills, transportation in and out of Boston, and Brady’s overall treatment plan. I implore you to please donate whatever you can. No amount is too small and is appreciated more than you could ever know. Thank you so much for taking the time to learn more about Brady's battle, and for assisting in any way you can.