Journey of a champion
"Shock" was how Kimi Lee described her reaction to her son Brandon's diagnosis: a rare type of cancerous brain tumor called an "ependymoma." In the last 10 years, there have been only six cases in North Dakota. "You're just in total disbelief when you hear something like that," she says. "You can't believe it's happening."
For Brandon, who is just finishing fifth grade at McKinley Elementary School in Fargo, the troubles began in the fall of 2002, when he was 9 years old. He began getting headaches, often early in the morning. In the next few months, they became more severe. On New Year's Eve, the pain was so intense that Brandon's parents, Kimi and Jason, took him to MeritCare Emergency Center in Fargo.
An initial evaluation by an ER doctor indicated a mass behind Brandon's eyes. A CT (computed tomography) scan confirmed the presence of a tumor. Additional tests were ordered and he was immediately admitted to MeritCare Children's Hospital. As more information became known, Brandon's specialized medical team came together, including Dr. Jim Reggin, pediatric neurologist; Dr. Nathan Kobrinsky, pediatric oncologist; and Dr. Ajith Thomas, neurosurgeon.
Surgery was Brandon's best option, but it was a delicate surgery due to the tumor location and the tumor size – about the size of an orange. To help ensure the success of the surgery, steroids were first given to Brandon to reduce the size of the tumor. Besides shrinking the tumor, the steroids caused a big-time appetite in Brandon. "He ate pizza 24/7 and loved it," says Kimi. "You'd think he'd be sick of pizza, but to this day he still loves it."
A few days later, Brandon underwent a four-hour procedure performed by Dr. Thomas, a highly specialized neurosurgeon skilled in the care of adults and children. Using an advanced technique called frameless stereotactic image guidance, Dr. Thomas was able to determine with great precision the tumor's exact location. This proved to be important in the safe removal of nearly all of Brandon's tumor. Other common benefits of this technique include smaller, more precise incisions, decreased surgery time, shorter hospital stays and faster recoveries. "A moment I'll never forget is when Brandon came out of surgery," says Kimi. "So many of our family and friends were there, filling the hallway, waiting for Brandon. Finally he came out, and even though his head was wrapped and he looked pretty dazed, he smiled and waved at us."
A several-month course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy followed, sometimes requiring hospitalization, especially when infections set in. Brandon recalls chemotherapy as being the toughest part. "I just wanted it to be over," he says. On particularly difficult days, the nurses and child life specialists at MeritCare Children's Hospital played an important role. (MeritCare is the only hospital in the region to offer the services of child life specialists, speciallytrained child development experts funded through CMN.) "And on days when I felt better, we did fun things, like played games," says Brandon.
One game in particular that kept Brandon looking to the future was football. Throughout his treatments, he kept his spirits up by thinking about getting back out on the field. And last fall, with his treatments behind him and his cancer in remission, he was back in the action. "We didn't win any games, but that was okay," he says. "I knew that I'd won in my own way." Today, Brandon continues to be cancer free.
Meet Brandon and many other kids on this year's CMN Celebration as 20 years of success stories are celebrated. The 10-hour broadcast begins at noon on June 5 and will be carried live throughout eastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota on KVLY-TV 11. If you are unable to watch but still wish to make a donation, call (800) 437-4010 or donate online at cmn.meritcare.com.
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