Welcome back to our CaringBridge website. We have left Brody's original story below from 2015 for any new visitors. Everyone's love and support got all of us through that difficult time, and it continues today. We are back on CaringBridge as a way for family and friends to stay informed on Brody's new fight and upcoming recovery. For a short history...Brody had about 1cm of his tumor remaining after the 2015 surgery. We hoped and prayed it would remain dormant, but instead began growing again last summer. Dr. Savage has been following it closely over the past months, and the time has come for some intervention. He's doing fantastic and the doctors feel he is in a great position for surgery. Going in before more damage is done will hopefully allow for a better chance of a full resection of the tumor. We could not have been more pleased with Brody's recovery from 2015. He's still an ideal student, son, and brother (sometimes). He remembers well what he went through 3 years ago and what is to come, yet still remains full of joy and happiness. He is honestly the bravest person I know. We love him and Anna more than could ever be expressed, and hope that your thoughts and prayers will be heading their way. We pray for Dr. Savage and her team, and know he could not be in better hands. May he be back to soccer, Fortnite, and irritating his sister sooner rather than later. We thank you all, and please follow Brody's journey as he gets past this next hurdle. His surgery is scheduled for tomorrow 5-15-18. Bo & Sarah
Welcome to our CaringBridge site. We've created it as a way to keep friends and family updated on Brody's condition and progress. We have so many people who care about us and Brody, and this will be an easy way to share with you all. We appreciate your support and words of hope and encouragement during this time when it matters most. Before explaining what our son is facing, I would be remiss if I didn't tell you a little about Brody. The best word I can use to describe our 8 year old son is passionate. From an early age, Brody has had the tendency to focus on something to a point of obsession. What started out with trucks, quickly moved to dinosaurs, dragons, reptiles, and then sharks. These things were more than an interest for Brody. He would read, study, draw, or watch videos until he honestly knew more about the subject than most adults. We were always amazed. More recently, I feel his passion has become his family and friends. As for family...the mere mention of seeing his Grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles brings him so much joy. And for his friends...We really started to see how Brody handled relationships in his final year of preschool, and it has continued now to the second grade. He truly loves his friends. Brody can be timid and shy at first, but once someone lets him in...its on! You would be hard-pressed to find a more loyal or dedicated friend. It's very difficult to describe your child in a paragraph. So please allow me to just tell you a few more reasons why we feel Brody is so special. His smile and happiness will light up a room. He is so kind and respectful to all. He is an 8 year old that can show compassion. He LOVES treats! He would give up most anything to spend one-on-one time with a friend or family member. He will cuddle til the sun comes up. He's very excitable. He's a pleaser with a heart of gold. He is incredibly affectionate. His love and joy is contagious. He is our baby boy! Now on to the recent developments. Brody recently started having some issues which we obviously chalked up as being minor. It started with some intermittent head tilting, and as of this week some problems with his eyes. Google it, and its classic symptoms for a child who may need glasses. So a simple Wednesday morning trip to an Opthamologist changed quickly. We were sent over for scans to determine a reason for the suspected increase in intracranial pressure. An hour into the scan, we were informed Brody has a mass on his brain. Here is what we know so far. Its a large tumor in Brody's posterior fossa / cerebellum which rests next to his brain stem. The doctors suspect it may be Juvenile Pilocytic Astrocytoma (JPA). These can be benign or malignant, and will not be determined until the final post surgical path report. After much deliberation, we have decided to stay in Knoxville for the surgery. First of all, the pediatric neurosurgeon, Dr. Savage, was wonderful with us and especially Brody. We also learned that due to the complexity and area of the brain they will have to operate in, Brody will most likely be facing an extended hospital stay. He's looking at a tough road of healing and rehab. With that in mind, we thought it would benefit Brody to be constantly surrounded by the family and friends he adores so much. We obviously will not be able to reach out to everyone with news and updates. This site will be a great way for us to share all of Brody's success and triumphs. We ask everyone to keep Brody in your thoughts and prayers. His surgery is scheduled for this Tuesday, March 31st. Please also pray for Dr. Savage and all the support staff at Children's Hospital as they care for Brody during this time. We also ask that you remember his sister, Anna, during the weeks ahead. She is very sensitive and loves her brother dearly. As her knowledge of the situation will be limited, please be very mindful of her feelings and stay positive around her. Thank you. Bo and Sarah
We just got back from a follow-up MRI. This is the first one since the scan back in May right after surgery. Even though we hoped for good news and they believed she got it all, you never know until you actually see it. Well, the scan looked great today, "normal"! There's nothing residual and the water spaces have filled in!! Besides still having some scabbing on the incision (no swimming yet), everything is looking like we truly are going to be ok. We know that sometimes surgeons believe they've resected all the tumor, only to later discover there were some cells left (that can regrow). So, we are so, so fortunate. Praise God for "normal". Thank you for being such a support to us.
After resting and taking it pretty easy the last 7 weeks, Brody is ready to start getting back into shape. He had his first soccer practice on Monday. We went for a jog yesterday. And, he hopes to be swimming in August. Being 'normal' is the absolute best!
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