Brylee's Battle

Just 4 months ago, my sister and her family celebrated the 4th of July up in McCall.  So much can and has happened in such a short period of time!  So many questions, so many unknowns, so many emotions, so many feelings that just can't be put into words!  Our family has quickly come to realize that our individual plans for life are out of our control and instead in the hands of God. 

In August, Monica, Rob, Brylee and Zayden were on vacation on the Oregon Coast.  Brylee started exhibiting abnormal symptoms that their local pediatrician, nor the local coast clinic could diagnose.  They made their way to Portland's Doernbecher Children's Hospital.  There, after a myriad of tests, Brylee was diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).  She underwent spinal surgery to remove cancer lesions on her back and quickly started her first round of chemotherapy.  They spent roughly a month in Portland while Brylee completed her first round of chemo and her recovery time.  Mom and Cam lived out of the motorhome for the month in Portland to be there in support of Brylee and help with Monica and Rob.  Jonathan, Anna, Zac and I spent a week over there keeping Brylee busy with all sorts of activities (painting, crafts, room decorations, window painting, playing polly pockets, dolls, making jewelry, clay, Legos...you name it, the hospital had it for us to do, or we got it somehow!). 

Byrlee and I making bracelets.  She has come so far from that day in the wheel chair!

Brylee, Nana and Aunt Anna....Bry getting her legs working again by riding the bike!

Byrlee and Rob....Brylee teaching her muscles to stand again!   Jonathan painted both of Brylee's windows in Portland so she had something fun to look at everyday!  She picked a horse and monkey for one window and an underwater scene for the other!

Above left:  Brylee loves to give manicures....she picks the colors, stickers, and decals to put on and depending on her mood determines on what kind of manicure you get....so far I've had, pink and red with sparkles, blue and orange, rainbow (every nail a different color), sparkles with Halloween stickers, and black, white and sparkles.  Not sure what my next manicure will be!  Even Zac got a manicure....it's pretty hard to say no!  Above, Bry is demonstrating her balancing abilities while putting together a Lego set!  Left:  Brylee made a heart pillow with Nana! 

Below right:  Brylee made Papa a blue and orange cupcake for his birthday! 

Zac Brylee and Emmy....she loves to take pictures and videos with any phone she can get her little hands on!  

Monica, Brylee and Nana....Nana brought the store to Brylee so she could go shopping!  Bry used her coins she's been collecting to buy items she wanted! 






Happy Halloween!  Byrlee dressed up as a fairy and Zayden was spiderman!  Mom and I put on our witch hats!  We all went behind the doors at their house and they got to trick-or-treat until their bags were full and then some!  Brylee was able to be at home for the week between chemotherapy rounds, but with her counts not high enough or her immune system not strong enough to fight any germs we all brought Halloween to their house!  The kids had a blast!  Papa even hid and Brylee made Zayden go first to find him!  I tried hiding, but caught on video Brylee announced she could still see my "belly."  We all decorated cookies!  There were smiles all around! 

Brylee put on her cat ears and posed for the camera....Look at her strength and balance. And she's posing!  She has come so far in such a short time.  In September Brylee was working with physical therapy to sit up on her own, she didn't have any movement in her legs or feet, now in November she is sitting on her own, crawling, standing and walking on her own with her stylish walker.  Kids are amazing!

After the first round of chemotherapy, Monica and Rob made the difficult decision to come back to Idaho and complete the remaining rounds of chemo.  While Doernbecher sees and treats multiple cases of AML yearly and St. Luke's might see one only case of AML a year, there is something about being home that is healing.

Brylee just completed her third round of chemo, which is the strongest (10 times stronger than the rest of the chemo treatments).  She is now in her recovery phase, which means after the chemo has completely wiped out everything in her body, her counts are 0, she will slowly start to rebuild her blood counts.  This usually takes about 3-4 weeks.  While Brylee usually feels okay during this time she is in isolation to prevent any germs, bugs or sickness getting to her!  That means she doesn't leave her hospital room, her door is closed and she has very limited visitors.  Between her recovery phase and the next chemotherapy round, they usually get about 4-7 days to spend at home! Brylee loves sleeping in her own bed, playing in her own room with her toys and having friends and family over for visits. 

Brylee has had an MRI after her first round of chemotherapy and two bow and arrow biopies (bone marrow) after the first and second rounds.  The MRI showed her cancer lesions had vanished from her spinal cord and the "bow and arrow" biopsies reveal that Brylee is cancer free and in remission!  While this is the best news we could ask for at this point, we know she still has a road ahead of her!  She has one more round of chemotherapy.  Please continue your prayers for her strength and healing! 

The amount of support that has come forth for Brylee and her family is amazing!  We have had fundraisers, hundreds of donations, cards written, gifts given, blankets made, meals cooked, dinner gift cards provided and prayers said from here to Nepal and back!  It is amazing!  Brylee proves again and again that kids are resilient!  We have so much to learn from them!  One day at a time.....keep on fighting like a girl, Brylee Jeanne!  We love you!!!!!!