History

Journal History

Monday, April 2, 2007 4:03 AM CDT

Some good news at last! The new treatment he is on is working. It has stopped the progression of the cancer and has actually caused one spot (in his knee) to dissappear. He goes back to University of Vermont today for the next round. That means he & mom will be living in the hospital room for at least a week. Mom bought an inflatable bed hoping it's more comfortable than the chair!

Unfortunately the cancer in his right hip knocked him off his feet just as the snowboarding season started. He got in a couple of trips to West Mountain, where he is a junior instructor, and actually got his first paycheck! He was delighted. He's looking forward to being a part of their team next season.

His friends & classmates here in Granville have been wonderful to him. They threw a party for him at the bowling alley, they had a custom Burton snowboard made for him which they all signed in silver ink, and they just presented him with a plaque signed by Stone Cold Steve Austin (the wrestler). We thank God for these kids that miss him & stick by him. Even though he doesn't get to see them, he knows they are thinking about him.

Our wonderful church family at the Granville Assembly Of God has been a rock of support for us and they are praying mightily for him (it's working!)and our friends back on Long Island call us almost daily. We are so blessed to have these wonderful people in our lives.

Thank you Lord for keeping this family in your arms. And thank you Bryan, for continuing to teach us the real meaning of life!!

Thursday, January 25, 2007 3:02 AM CST

The roller coaster ride continues. Bryan is in a very difficult place right now because the most recent treatment is no longer effective. He has tremendous pain in his back and other areas and it is being controlled with heavy (way too heavy) pain meds. We are now arranging to take him to Burlington, VT for a new treatment that is being offered that we pray will help. On the fun side, Bryan got his certificate of completion of the Instructor Training Course from West mountain. He is delghted and was helping to teach snowboarding until the back pain got so bad. Hopefully this new treatment will get him back on the mountain. And then, this past Sunday the most wonderful thing happened. Bryan was treated to a surprise party at the bowling alley! Organized by his science teacher, Bruce Bailey, and with the help of other caring teachers, Bry got to spend a fantastic afternoon of fun with all his friends from school. Words cannot describe how special this was to him as he has not seen these friends for a long time (he can't get to school anymore.)The D.J., the food, all donated, was just unbelievable. This was the boost he needed!Thank You!!!

Sunday, January 7, 2007 4:31 PM CST

Today was Bryan's first day on the job as a junior snowboard instructor at West Mountain in Glens Falls, NY. It was a great day, although not without it's scary moments! Backing up a bit, we weren't sure he would even go today because he has had such intense pain in his back & hip. We are not sure if it's from the disease or from the treatment. But today he was not to be denied. We got to the mountain right aftr church and Bryan was pumped. After being assigned to help an instructor with a group of 6 students they headed for the bunny hill. I wasn't far behind. Then I saw him drop to his knees, with a bunch of instructors gathering around him. As I approached a panicked guy came running up to me telling me that Bryan was having an asthma attack. I told him I wished that's what it was! This was a reaction from the oxaliplatin to the cold hitting his unprotected throat. After a couple of minutes he was ok and rejoined the group. It was smooth sailing after that and Bry was in his glory helping teach these kids how to snowboard. He didn't last the full hour and a half as the cold air was numbing his mouth & nose. Next week he'll wear a ski mask. He quickly warmed up in the car and was excited all the way home. Tonight he's not complaining about any pain (& no pain pills!) and he can't wait for next week. God is working a miracle in this guy!!

Friday, December 8, 2006 9:18 AM CST

Well, we have learned in 8+ years to take the good with the bad. We move forward, we move backward. I'd settle for running in place!

The chemo that was doing such a good job of keeping the cancer in check has apparantly taken a leave of absence. Bryan has started on a new chemo this week that we all hope will get things back under control. There is also a new treatment in Burlington, Vt.(which is near us)that shows early promise. We're watching it with great hope.

Now for the good stuff! Bryan attended his first session of the snowboard instructors training course at West Mtn. last weekend, pain & all. He plans on attending both days this weekend for as long as he is able to stand. We have lots of fresh snow so they will be on the mountain. God bless his unbelievable strength, will & determination. He continues to be an inspiration to all!!

Wednesday, October 18, 2006 9:45 PM CDT

Think snow!! With the unexpected snowstorm in Buffalo, Bryan is really thinking snowboarding now. He starts instructor training at West Mountain in mid-November and is so excited about his first job. With his new haircolor he's got the look! He was at Gore Mountain last week as a volunteer for the adaptive ski program at the Double H Ranch. He is their snowboard demonstrator. Gore looks like a nice mountain, never been there before but we agree we want to try it this season.

School is moving along as usual, some days he's there, some he's not. Still doing well in all his subjects. Bowling league is up & running again so that's where he is Saturday mornings. Have to coordinate that with snowboard instructing this winter.

Most important of all, we just got Bryan's scan results from Philly and, thank God, the cancer has been reduced by 10%!! The chemo combo he is on is working. So we stay the course, for now. That means he should be able to do all the things he has planned this winter. Wonderful news!!

Monday, October 16, 2006 4:48 AM CDT

Think snow!! With the unexpected snowstorm in Buffalo, Bryan is really thinking snowboarding now. He starts instructor training at West Mountain in mid-November and is so excited about his first job. With his new haircolor he's got the look! He was at Gore Mountain last week as a volunteer for the adaptive ski program at the Double H Ranch. He is their snowboard demonstrator. Gore looks like a nice mountain, never been there before but we agree we want to try it this season.

School is moving along as usual, some days he's there, some he's not. Still doing well in all his subjects. Bowling league is up & running again so that's where he is Saturday mornings. Have to coordinate that with snowboard instructing this winter.

Bryan leaves today for Philly for scans to see what's happening inside. We are praying for continued good results. Somewhere along the line we will have to move on to another treatment, we just don't know what yet. There are some new treatments that have come out recently that show great promise, we'll see. Meanwhile, like the energizer bunny, he just keeps banging along!!

Thursday, July 27, 2006 8:08 AM CDT

The results are in! The new chemo combination that Bryan is on appears to be doing the trick. Preliminary results from scans this week show the cancer to have remained stable, maybe even somewhat reduced. His doc says we will stay the course for now & scan again in the fall. We thank God that the disease progression has stopped and pray that the miracle continues!

Bryan got a big surprise from his math teacher, Ms. Wilson, and his classmates. They made the most incredible quilt with pictures of Bryan & friends transferred/sewn onto it! I don't know how they did it, but it's beautiful! See the picture in the photo gallery.

Bryan is having a great summer. His friend Ryan came up from Arizona to visit & now Bryan is heading there for a short visit (thanks to Aunt Janet for providing the means to make the trip possible.)He is so excited to be going on vacation, seeing his friend again, and seeing Arizona for the first time.

Looking ahead to the winter months, we just found out that Bryan has been accepted as a Junior Snowboard Instructor at West Mountain! This is a dream come true for Bryan, truly another milestone in his life. Thanks to Ronnie at the adaptive sports program for opening the door and Scott at West Mtn for making it happen. Caring people like these play a big role in Bryan's quality of life!

Saturday, June 17, 2006 7:58 AM CDT

School's out for summer!! It was another banner year for Bryan. High Honor Roll & induction into the National Junior Honor Society! Much thanks to the wonderful teachers at Granville Jr. High who readily participated with his home tutor, Heather Gadway, to keep him up to speed. And thanks to Bruce Bailey, who taught the special combined 7th-8th grade science program, for giving his time after school to keep Bryan in the loop.

Today Bry heads for "The Great Escape", part of Six Flags Amusement Parks, with some friends for a full day of gut-wrenching rides! The new chemo has him feeling generally lousy but that NEVER stands in the way of his having fun. Determination prevails every time. He has a season pass so I know where he'll be headed most weekends.

The Docs will scan again in mid July to see what's happening inside his body. We pray to the Lord that this new chemo is working. We're looking at the next option down the road if things are going well.

Saturday, May 20, 2006 7:32 AM CDT

Busy week for Bry!
The chemo combo he was on was successful in stopping the progress of the cancer. This week he started a new chemo combo designed to push the cancer back. We pray that it works. Tough stuff, leaves him feeling tired and with some pain in various places.

He got a big surprise from school this week. At the awards ceremony (he couldn't be there in person) Bryan was given a certificate acknowledging his attainment of high honor roll status for the year, despite missing half the school days. Then he was chosen to recieve the counselor's award for being such an inspiration with his positive attitude and ability to live every moment fully despite the constant onslaught of the disease that stalks him.

Bowling league is over but he will still go to the lanes because he really loves the sport. He recieved a "400 Series" patch for hitting that high mark for a 3 game series during league play. He gets better all the time. We're grateful he has some physical activity he can participate in since it appears baseball is out for him this season.

Thank you Lord Jesus for giving us this special boy!!

Wednesday, April 26, 2006 2:25 AM CDT

Bald is Beautiful!!

Bryan is getting heavy chemo again to try and stop the progress of the cancer and that has once again made his hair fall out. Just in time for summer so his head will stay nice & cool!

He got in his last snowboarding of the season at the end of March at Okemo. Conditions were rough but he had fun anyway. Big party as usual at our friend Rob Pike's ski house kept him well occupied. Now it's time to put the snowmobile away and bring out the quad.

Mary Lou is back in "road trip" mode for their frequent trips to Philadelphia for the chemo & for checkups. It's a grind but she handles it as well as she can. Next week it's back to Philly for scans to see what the chemo is doing for him. We feel it's having some effect because he no longer has pain in the areas that were loaded with cancer.

Despite the low blood counts from the chemo and the need for transfusions every few days, Bryan has tremendous energy and participates in his bowling league and other activities. He has not spiked a fever as expected and is not feeling sick. We attribute this to a new herbal supplement he is on called GOJI juice. Our new & dear friends Lisa and Jim Carter, who are opening a huge organic/natural food store here in town, recommended it when they learned of Bryan's situation. We researched it online and it sounded like it would help Bryan get through the chemo with fewer side effects and it sure seems to be doing the trick.

Bryan also has a new friend in town, Andy Mceachron, who owns the new sports/memorabilia store in town (lots happening in our little town!) Bryan is an avid card collector and has found a kindred spirit in Andy. Bryan now has a showcase in his room to display most of his autographed and collectible items! Not too many kids have a huge glass display case in their bedroom, but then again Bryan has been anything but normal!!

Our friends around the world continue to pray for a miracle for Bryan. They pray that he will be cured. Our church here, the Granville Assembly of God Church, has been wonderful in their vigilant prayer and concern for Bryan. The ongoing support of good Christian folks like Pastor Bill & Judy Stienmetz and Don & Ann Duncan helps us to cope with the trials of fighting this disease every day. The continued support of our dear friends back on Long Island is a constant comfort to us. And with the most important support of all, that of Jesus, we will continue to get through this ordeal. Thank you Lord!

Sunday, March 12, 2006 7:29 PM CST

The Hartman Race for Physically Challenged Kids

WOW, what an amazing day Saturday turned out to be! Bryan got up at 6:45 and said he's going to the race. We hit the road at 7:15 and got there at 10:15. If his back was bothering him he didn't complain at all during the trip. He was too excited to worry about pain!

Seth was waiting for us at the center; they met and hit it right off. Seth is in med school studying Pediatric Hematology/Oncology. Bryan gave him a few pointers! On to the slopes they went for some warmup runs. I know Seth was impressed with Bryan's ability and they both share the same philosophy: the more diamonds a trail has the better they like it!!

We ate lunch and then it was race time. Bryan's first run was his best, he was flying and his board was flat for speed. On his second run he got a little more edge and wasn't quite as fast. Looked good though, the crowd was oohing and ahhing as he gracefully carved the trail.

After the race he and Seth headed right for the top again. They did several runs in the terrain park and on the last jump of the last run (of course) Bryan got some huge air and landed it, then lost it and went ass over teakettle several times. He'll be nice and purple when Dr. Maris sees him in Philly on Monday. Frankly, I think the good doctor likes to see him that way, it's a telltale sign that Bryan continues to live life to it's fullest!!!

The awards ceremony was so special, watching these wonderful individuals receive their rewards for their achievements. It was even more so as the trophies were out handed out by Sarah Will, the multiple gold medalist para-olympian. And what a thrill to hear Bryan's name announced as the first place winner in the snowboard division!! He was delighted and it is something he will remember forever.

Every day like this that I can spend with him is a treasured gift for all of us!

Bob Tressler

Saturday, February 18, 2006 5:18 PM CST

Bryan just returned from Philly where he had his 2nd round of the experimental antibody treatment. Thank God he tolerated this one better than the 1st. No real issues to deal with. Mom had some great compnay to help get through the lonely stretch. Aunt Janet & Uncle Al kept Mom & Bry occupied (Aunt Janet even slept over on a cot!)

Now that he's home, it's back to bowling & maybe snowboarding (depending on platelet levels.) Friends will be over and he'll just have his usual fun in general.

We're blessed to be in this position after 7+ years of fighting this beast called cancer. So many other precious children have lost their battle, it's horrifying to contemplate. But for some reason the Lord has allowed us this wonderful time with Bryan, watching him grow, accomplish many things, overcome obstacles and thrive against all odds. We give Him thanks!

Sunday, February 5, 2006 1:23 AM CST

WOW!! He's a teenager!!!

Bryan turned 13 on Feb 3rd. What a milestone event for him. He has fought long and hard to get there and now that it's official he's on cloud 9.

He went bowling after school, went to the dance Friday night (the girls gave him tons of attention as many knew it was his birthday) and on Saturday we all went to Mount Snow in Vt. for a full day of snowboarding. Bryan had a banner day, hitting all the rails, bumps & jumps like a pro. It's the best I've ever seen him do! I forgot to bring my camera but I've put an older rail photo on the photo page for those who don't know what that is. We took his friend Steven with us (he has never snowboarded) and Bryan taught him how to snowboard in one day. It was just all great fun!

Sunday he will wind down and watch the Superbowl and Monday he will be off to Albany Med for blood counts. Most likely he'll need platelets after a rough weekend like this one.

He's amazing!

Tuesday, January 31, 2006 4:51 PM CST

What an amazing day! Bryan was invited to give a snowboarding demonstration at the Double-H Hole In The Woods Camp. You might have heard of Paul Newman's Hole In The Wall Camp in Ct. for sick kids. This is the same concept in the Adirondack Mountains in upstate NY, built by Paul and Charles Wood, founder of the Great Escape amusement park. It is a wonderful facility and it has it's own small ski slope!

The program is called the Adaptive Ski Program and has professional instructors and a mountain manager who donate their time to give kids with various diseases and related disabilities a chance to learn to ski or snowboard. In Bryan's case they were all amazed that he was not there for instruction, he was there to show 'em how it's done!! On his first run he did a couple of perfect 360s and the two snowboard instructors decided he could instruct them in some of the finer points of showboating! Bryan was in his glory.

It was beyond inspiring to watch these kids in their determination to learn. One girl with cerebral palsey was lifted from her wheelchair and strapped into a single ski device which was controlled from behind by an instructor. (see photos) She clearly had a wonderful time, as did all the kids in the program.

For a day there was no cancer, no cerebral palsey, no diabetes etc., there was just a bunch of kids having a great time. That's quality of life, unsurpassed!!

Tuesday, January 17, 2006 8:42 PM CST

Bryan called me from his room at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia after his first day of the new treatment he is undergoing. He asked me to post the good news to this website--his treatment went without a hitch. We were all nervous that there would be painful complications, as was experienced last week by the first child to receive this treatment at CHOP, beautiful & brave Christi Thomas. But thanks to Christi the docs know how to manage the side effects better, and Bryan got to benefit from that. Thank you Christi, you're a brave warrior!! And thank you Bryan for having no hesitation even though you knew this could be very painful. You're an inspiration as always.

On the lighter side of his life, last week Bryan got to go on his first trip with the Granville jr/sr high ski/snowboard club. They went after school to Willard Mtn., which is lighted at night, and had a blast until 9pm. He was in his element!

Bryan got a wonderful surprise from his 7th grade class. Knowing that he would be spending time in the hospital, thay all chipped in and bought him a Sony Play Station Portable & a game. He was thrilled! What a wonderful, caring group of kids!!

We are all praying that this new treatment works. Stay tuned.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005 6:11 AM CST

Bryan just returned from a cruise to the Bahamas with his friend Steven & family. He had a great time having fun in the sun but now it's time to get the snowboarding season underway. We have plenty of snow up here in the Northeast and all the big ski mountains are open. Also time to dust off the snowmobile. We like winter!!

On a somber note, Bryan went for scans last week and the results were not what we hoped for. The nuclear scan showed new cancer in some areas so the chemo combination he is on will be stopped and a different approach will be decided on. Please keep him in your prayers.

Monday, August 1, 2005 4:52 AM CDT

Bryan continues to chug along as usual. He just returned from a month in Atlanta visiting big sister Jen (first time he's been away from us for that long in 7 years.) He had a great time with friends Eric & Josh doing all kinds of water sports. Now he's back home, playing with his usual buddies, riding the quad etc. This past Friday he went to a concert at the Pepsi Arena to see 3 Doors Down, had a great time. This Saturday he goes to the same place to see WWE wrestling. He is definately having a great summer. He is doing some school prep over the summer as he is being advanced a year in 2 subjects. The oral chemo is not having any negative effects on him so far. We pray that it's doing some good for him. He will be scanned again in a few weeks to see what's happening inside him. Meanwhile life marches on.

Sunday, May 22, 2005 5:28 PM CDT

Bryan is busy as usual. We found out he is being advanced past 7th grade math and science and will be studying at the 8th grade level in those subjects, despite missing half his school days! He is having fun in Little League and, well, just having fun in general in our new home. Lot's of friends, lot's of things to do (check out the photo page.)

He and Mom just left for Memorial Sloan Kettering for 3 weeks of radiation, not something we were looking forward to but no choice in the matter. After that he'll have low dose chemo, then antibody treatment. The fight goes on.

We are all enjoying our new environment, especially now that the meadows are green and the trees are in full bloom. The alpacas have arrived, including the baby, and we are happy to be away from the Long Island rat race! And Bryan continues to amaze and inspire us as always!!

Thursday, March 17, 2005 5:02 AM CST

There has been much turmoil in Bryan's life lately, but he skates through it as usual. We received the disturbing news that the cancer had spread to his spine and head so we no longer had the option of trying experimental treatments of a low impact nature. Bryan went back to Childrens Hospital Of Philadelphia for a third high dose MIBG radiation treatment. This worked well for him before and we are praying that it works again. So far the pain has decreased so we believe it is working. He will be scanned again in a couple of weeks and then we will know the real story. After that he will move on to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to start the antibody treatment once again. This also worked for him before and we pray that this newer version will work even better.

On the fun side of things Bryan is enjoying life to the fullest! He loves his jr. bowling league and continues to improve. Despite missing 35 days of school last quarter he is still on the high honor roll. He is signed up for Little League here in our new town. And he continues to make the most of the snowy weather while it's still here, with snowboarding and now snowmobiling available for a little while longer (see pictures.)He loves life and lets nothing stand between him and fun!!

Thursday, December 30, 2004 5:58 AM CST

Bryan and family had a GREAT first Christmas in our new home. It was a very warm, cozy family feeling and we are grateful to God that we could experience it. Everyone is adapting well to our new area except for big sister Jen, who is heading back to Atlanta after the first big cold snap we had here. Thin southern blood, I guess. Our first alpacas have arrived here at the farm and Bryan is earning an allowance by feeding them in the morning. On the medical side, bryan's disease has shown improvement with the new drug ABT-751, but the side effects were too much for him. We're now looking for something else. Much prayer and accupuncture have finally relieved the pain from the drug. And we have snow, so the mountains are open. Time to strap on the snowboards and skiis and head for the hills. Big brother Bobby got his first job. He's a snowboard instructor at Bromley Mt. It's a heck of a lot better than MY first job! Mary Lou and I are enjoying the farm life, slowly developing the alpaca herd.
Bye for now!

Sunday, November 7, 2004 4:16 AM CST

Bryan has completed two rounds of the new experimental drug ABT-751 and scans show that it appears to be working! There has been no new progression of the disease. Right now the docs are calling it stable disease. They hope that continued treatment may actually reverse it. The side effects are horrific, so Bryan is no longer in school. He will have a tutor so that he does not fall behind.

Bryan has recently started bowling and he loves it. He is getting quite good at it. Last week he and a partner entered a tournament and placed second out of 25 teams. It is getting cold here so snowboarding season is right around the corner. Two large mountains near here will be open in another week, so here we go!

Our furniture just arrived from Long Island so this house is really starting to feel like a home now. We can't wait for the holidays. We are all loving it here, thank the Lord.

Wednesday, September 22, 2004 5:39 AM CDT

We have finally moved to our new location in upstate NY. Bryan has started 6th grade at Granville Elementary School and is loving it. He had an interview with the principal at which he proposed starting a chess club. He was instantly accepted by the other kids the first day, and in fact is a highly sought after item by no less than five girls in his class!! Lance Romance strikes again! Bryan has recently started on a new drug called ABT-751. If it is effective in stopping the progression of the cancer then he will remain on it for the forseeable future. Meanwhile the whole family is adapting well to our new community. The physical beauty of the area is stunning and the people we have met are very open and friendly. It is a peaceful, less stressful way of life up here and we are happy that God has led us to this place at our greatest time of need.

Tuesday, July 20, 2004 5:56 AM CDT

Many things are changing in Bryan's life right now, some for the better, some not. Bryan had a great baseball season. He made some unbelievable defensive plays and he was the only kid on the team allowed to bunt because he's so good at it. As always he was at the top of his class in school despite missing half the year because of treatments. Bryan is anxiuos to move to our new home in upstate NY. He's looking forward to romping around on the farm. We are going to raise Alpacas and he can't wait to help out (see picture page.) He is signed up for school and the principal, the teacher and the nurse all want to meet him.

Unfortunately his cancer has returned once again. We are actively trying experimental treatments in the hope that something will work for him. We know everyone is praying hard for him to pull through this. He is hoping he doesn't have to start in a new school with a bald head, but it will be what it will be.

Keep the prayers coming and thanks for all your kind words in his book.

Bob Tressler

Wednesday, March 17, 2004 7:51 AM CST

Bryan has been one busy boy lately! This has been a great season for snowboarding and he has made many trips to the mountains. He's getting better at it all the time (see photos.) Recently he flew to Atlanta, by himself, to visit big sister Jen. They went to a hockey game, saw Linkin Park in concert, went to Great Adventure etc. By day 4 Jen was plain worn out! We have two more ski trips planned, then it's Little League in full swing.
Bryan remains in remission, scans are coming up in two weeks. Please pray hard for the miracle to continue.

Wednesday, February 4, 2004 5:47 AM CST

We celebrated Bryan's 11th birthday on 2/3!! We are grateful to God that he is here to see it and enjoying life as much as ever. Lot's of snowboarding thanks to the intense weather we've been having. Next week is the school dance and he's taking his little sweetheart. Then he is off to New Jersey for the Feb. break to visit Aunt Janet & Uncle Al. He will work on his science fair project with Uncle Al. Then in March he is going by himself to visit big sister Jen in Atlanta. They are going to see Linkin Park (the band, for those of you who don't know) and are going backstage after the concert.
So far his health remains the same, no evidence of disease. We will take every day as it comes and pray that the miracle continues.

Sunday, January 4, 2004 1:47 PM CST

2004 brings us continued good news. The antibody treatment at Sloan-Kettering is finished, and Bryan's most recent scans have come back clean once again. We thank God that we are still blessed in this fight against cancer. Christmas was joyous, with big sister Jen up from Atlanta to celebrate the holiday with us. My cousin Mike, along with two of his kids, paid us a surprise visit. It was great to see them all. We spent the week of New Year's Eve at Mt. Attitash in New Hampshire doing what the boys love the most, snowboarding (and skiing for us old folks). They had lots of fun and I took some great photos of their arial acrobatics. We are hoping for more snow as we plan on several more trips this season. Bryan is enjoying 5th grade and is smitten with a pretty girl in his class. He is quite the romantic. It is wonderful to be enjoying "normal" family activities with him.
Thank you one and all for keeping us in your prayers.

Wednesday, November 5, 2003 8:33 PM CST

Bryan and family recently returned from a short trip to Atlanta to visit big sister Jen. The weather was great, the city was nice and we had a great time. Bryan did nearly every crazy roller coaster ride at Six Flags Great Adventure. We took some photos that gave his doc a heart attack. He was upside down, inside out, over, under, you name it he did it! Now we anxiously await the start of snowboarding season. We're planning several weekend trips to Vt., hope the snow comes soon. Bryan just finished the last of the experimantal antibody treatments at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital. He remains in remission so far, and we are searching for what treatment might be suitable for long term use in the hopes of keeping this under control. I'll let you all know how the first snowboard trip of the season goes.

Sunday, August 17, 2003 11:43 AM CDT

Bryan and family just got back from vacation, the first time in two years that Bryan's treatment schedule and blood counts have allowed us to take a week long trip on the boat. We spent four days in Shelter Island and four days in Essex, Conn. The weather was wonderful and all of us had a great time. Bryan went to the top of the mast, over 50' high, in a bosuns chair(see photopage). He is a real daredevil! This week he goes for four days of scans to see if his disease is still behaving itself. We believe it is, as he is gaining weight and not complaining of any pains anywhere in his body. He will then be ready to enter 5th grade! Hard to believe he has been fighting cancer since the start of kindergarten. This time he will actually have hair when he starts school. Keep up the prayers and support, we appreciate it more than you know.

Wednesday, June 4, 2003 12:32 AM CDT

Bryan has been his usual busy self. I can't imagine how many more activities and events he could fit in even if he wasn't fighting cancer! He is on his third round of experimental antibody treatment at Sloan-Kettering. One more round to go, probably in November, then we'll decide what to do next. Right now he is still in complete remission. Truly amazing to evryone involved.
Let's see, what's he been up to? Went to a Yankees game vs. Texas Rangers (thank you Mark Patrick!). His favorite player, A-Rod, is on that team. So he wore his Rangers stuff instead of Yanks. Sat behind the Rangers dugout, got a game ball (see photo). He's playing Little League, 2nd base & pitching. Doing well in school despite missing most classes. Discovered Dave & Busters Arcade (thank you Gabby!). He is saving up his tickets for a big prize. Everyone else in the family is doing fine. Mom is pretty worn out trying to keep up with his schedule, but she's hanging in there. We all need some R&R real soon!!

Tuesday, March 18, 2003 6:05 AM CST

It's been a very busy time for Bryan. We were invited to a concert in NYC and saw (and met) some of the kids favorite bands, like Stereomud (Eric, the singer, is their honorary big brother) and Saliva. Then a talent agent, Matty Matt, met Bryan and invited him back to NYC to meet the huge band Linkin Park. The boys and Mom went to the soundcheck and met everyone (see Picture). Then Bryan hustled back to Riverhead to see his exhibit at the School District science fair. Like last year, he took first place. His project was "Do pheromones enhance clam spawning in a controlled environment?". The high school science teachers took all of their classes to see the exhibit. We have one more snowboarding trip this weekend and that's it for the season, now on to Little League. Bryan continues to stay ahead of his disease with still no sign of it. He remains in active treatment for it, so far something is working. We pray to God it continues like this. Stay tuned.

Wednesday, February 19, 2003 1:34 AM CST

Bryan spent two weeks in the hospital waiting for his immune system to recover. When it started to come back they were set to release him and , of course, the blizzard of the century hit. He was so anxious to come home we drove 60 miles each way in the storm to get him. Despite what some people say, thank God for SUVs! The next day he was at indoor baseball camp and loving every minute of it. Nothing holds him back. Bryan is doing well in 4th grade despite the amount of time he has missed classes. His teacher says the room energizes when he walks in. Bryan received a great honor and was named the "Person of the Year" by the News Review newspaper for his perseverance in the face of adversity. He inspires many people. You can read about it at www.riverheadnewsreview.com. Click on past issues. Click on year 2003. Click on Jan 3 and there he is under people of the year. Bryan is having a fun season of snowboarding, but now his thoughts are turning to baseball !!

Sunday, December 01, 2002 at 10:09 PM (CST)

Bryan and family just got back from the first snowboarding trip of the season. This is the earlist we have ever gone, but Vermont has plenty of snow. See the photo album-Bryan jumps off the box. He and we had a great time. Monday we are off to Sloan-Kettering to test again to see if the response against the antibody is still present. We hope it has diminished so he can get more antibody treatment. Tuesday he is back in school and back to his normal routine. We are enjoying every moment of acting like a normal family, and praying that it lasts.

Saturday, November 09, 2002 at 08:12 AM (CST)

Bryan is as active as ever, despite his low blood counts. He is back in school and doing well. He is the go-to guy if the other kids have problems with their work. He can't wait for snowboarding season to start. It's snowing in Vermont and Bry just got a new board (see pics)so he is ready.
His cancer is still in remission, much to the amazement and delight of his docs. Keep praying hard for him, it's working! His immune system has developed a response against the antibody treatment he got at Memorial Sloan Kettering, so he can't get the treatment again until the response goes away. We hope that will be soon.
He is still growing and gaining weight. He's also a handsome dude (no bias on my part!) He has asked a girl to the school dance even though it's not officially scheduled yet. Bryan doesn't waste time or beat around the bush! I learn something new about life from him every day.

Thursday, September 12, 2002 at 07:21 AM (CDT)

Bryan and big brother Bobby spent a week at baseball camp (day camp). They both love to play ball and they learned a lot. Bryan had complete scans done at Sloan-Kettering and they all came up clean except for a spot on his right arm. We think this is a bone bruise from camp but his Dr. is being very cautious. Bryan started the monoclonal antibody treatment at Sloan-Kettering this week. We are praying that this will cure him. But before he went to the hospital we went to a Yankee game and met Andy Pettitte and Steve Karsay (both are pitchers)! See photos.
Bryan got three days of school in before starting treatment. He likes his teacher and is looking forward to getting back to class.

Sunday, August 11, 2002 at 02:52 PM (CDT)

Bryan & Mom came home from the hospital yesterday, YIPPEEE! They were there for three weeks. Bryan received heavy doses of three chemo drugs and then got stem cells to rescue his marrow. He recovered quickly and he is home one week ahead of time! While he was there his Child Life specialist, Glen, got him a bass guitar and amp. They practiced often and shook up the whole BMT unit. His doc thought it was pretty funny. He was also working with his genius uncle Al on an invention he wants to build. Something about a volcano that makes chili! Who knows, if you're watching cable at 2 a.m. you might see it advertised some day.
He was home not more than ten minutes and he was pestering me to go to the skateboard shop, so off we went. Dad, being a mush, got him a new board. It's a mini board that he wanted which is good for doing tricks. The town we live in just built an awesome skate park for the kids so he will have plenty of time to use it. Tommorrow Bryan and brother Bobby start baseball camp for a week. Bryan is determined to go, I guess he will do as much as he can and rest when he needs to. There is just no stopping him. After that he will make the last week of sailing lessons in his Optimist dinghy before the season ends. The instructors miss him and will give him a lot of attention that week.
Then it's back to school, which we will work around his antibody treatments at Sloan Kettering in NYC. The heavy chemo was preparation for this treatment, which holds the possibility of cure. We are all praying it works. This treatment will continue until January and then there is the vaccine that they are developing for him at Baylor U.in Houston. When that is ready Bryan will get it. Everyone, especially his doc,is amazed at how fantastic Bryan is doing. We will do everything possible to see that he continues. Keep him in your prayers.

Friday, July 12, 2002 at 11:12 AM (CDT)

Bryan and family spent some much needed r&r time on Shelter Island, right after school ended. The preferred method of transportation was the bicycle! Lot's of special friends visited with us during our stay. Bryan has been playing Little League ball as much as he can between chemo treatments. I'll post a picture of him pitching, he just loves the game. Right now Bryan is learning how to race his Optimist sailing dinghy. He is super competitive by nature, so the other racers better watch out!
Medically, things are about as good as it gets given the situation. He just completed a rigorous set of scans and bone marrow tests at Sloan Kettering and the results showed NO SIGN OF ANY DISEASE!! What that means is that although the docs know he still has cancer cells floating around in him somewhere, their most sensitive tests can't detect it. So, when he goes in for heavy chemo on July 19 in preparation for the antibody treatment this fall he will be in the best condition possible.
We thank everyone for their continued prayers and support, and ask that you keep it up more than ever.

Tuesday, June 11, 2002 at 01:59 PM (CDT)

On Monday, June 3, we received a call from Dot Moran, Bryan's school principal. She said she had some exciting news and boy, did she ever. She said that the school had just received a letter addressed to Bryan from none other than President Bush!! It seems that the high school science teacher, Bob Jester, wrote a letter to Mr. Bush telling him how Bryan won the overall award(K-12) at the science fair despite undergoing treatment for a life threatening illness. Mr. Bushs' secretary called Mr. Jester to tell him that his letter had to pass through five levels before reaching the President (most don't make it that far). Mr. Bush responded to the letter, congratulating Bryan on his achievement and perseverance. He also said that he and Mrs. Bush would keep him in their prayers as he battles cancer. The letter was beautifully framed by a teacher, Mrs. Krupski, and presented to Bryan at a school assembly held just for him on Thursday. He had no idea this was coming and was totally surprised. It was a very emotional experience for us and I cannot describe just how proud we are of Bryan and how thankful we are to Bob Jester, as well as the entire Roanoke Ave. School community, for making this happen.
On a medical note, Bryan is doing very well in his battle against this disease. We are meeting with Dr. Lipton and Dr. Kushner at Memorial Sloan Kettering on Wednesday, June 12, to discuss plans for further treatment. Stay tuned! (check out the photo page to see the letter)

Tuesday, May 28, 2002 at 04:21 AM (CDT)

On Thursday, May 23, we finally got to meet Dr. Kushner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. The meeting went well and we will go back on May 30 for bone marrow aspirations. After the results are in we will decide on the course of action to take. Dr. Kushner has a few different options in mind and right now he is feeling there might be some hope. He was very happy to see how well Bryan looked considering what he has.
Bryan had the PIC line removed from his arm so he was able to swim in the bay for the first time since the summer of 2000. Boy was he happy, even though the water was pretty cold! It didn't matter one bit to him. He also caught three fish over the weekend, he just loves fishing. Now that the line is out he can resume playing Little League. He only missed two games.
We are looking forward to our meeting with Dr. Kushner on Thursday so can narrow our options and decide on which plan has the best chance of helping Bryan long-term.

Wednesday, April 10, 2002 at 08:34 PM (CDT)

On monday, March 25 Bryan checked in to the hospital for stem cell transfusion. His counts were not recovering fast enough on their own and he needs to move on to other treatments. On tuesday and wednesday he received stem cells, thursday morning he got platelets and by thursday night he was playing pool at a ski lodge in Vermont! He did his snowboarding thing on friday, saturday and sunday. Monday we came home, and his counts are coming up rapidly. He is now back in school and we anxiously await the next step in this battle against cancer. Take a look at his photo page to see the cool dude in action.

Saturday, March 16, 2002 at 05:12 AM (EST)

On Wednesday, 3/13/02, Bryan's science fair project titled "Does Temperature Affect The Rate Of A Chemical Reaction?" won overall 1st place, grades K-12. Bryan is in 3rd grade. He, and we, were thrilled beyond description. We owe special thanks to his science club instructor, Mr. Jester, and his 3rd grade teacher, Mrs. Kozora. Even though he has missed most of his in-school lessons, he works diligently at home.

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