~BRANDON'S STORY~

BRANDON ELAM
March 18, 1991 ~ October, 2 2007
Always Remembered...Never Forgotten

Brandon was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease in Aug 2004. After many trips to the hospital and doctor's Brandon was not getting better. On Oct. 22, 2004 Brandon was diagnosed also with Medulloblastoma(brain tumor), that metastasized to his spine. 10-25-04 he had surgery to remove the brain tumor. 11-10-04 he had a shunt placed in his head to relieve the pressure. 11-22-04 we started 30 radiation treatment's with a weekly dose of Vincristine (chemo). From 2-05 to 7-05 Brandon had 6 rounds of heavy chemo in the hospital. He has had clean scans until 9-22-06, when we found out he relapsed. He has Medullablastoma in his bone marrow. This is very rare. He is having 10 radiation treatments on his hip and he is taking an oral form of chemo (VP-16) at home. If the chemo works he will have a stem cell transplant from his own blood. After 1 round of the oral chemo scans showed more tumors. We are now doing IV chemo (Carboplatin & Etoposide-VP-16) in the hospital. We found out in 6-07 after 6rds of treatment that this was not working anymore and his cancer is spreading. We are now going to try a five day chemo treatment (Temozomide and Irinitecan) We will start this as inpatient and if Brandon does well we can do it in Dr. McMahon's office. It is with much sadness that after two rds of this treatment. We had an MRI and PET Scan done that showed us that the cancer has continued to spread throughout Brandon's body. As of 8-27-07 we have all decided that we have run out of option's and we are not going to have anymore treatments. We do not know how much time Brandon has left, but we are going to live everyday like it is his last and make a lot of happy memories. Please keep praying for Brandon and our family to make it thru this. Thanks for all the love and support.
PLEASE LEAVE BRANDON A MESSAGE UNDER GUESTBOOK.








Brandon's Make-a-Wish trip to Atlantis (Bahamas) 7-06

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Journal

Monday, June 2, 2008 11:08 PM CDT

I do not know even where to start. This entry is way overdue. I can tell you we have gone on with life, but it is just not the same without Brandon. We function everyday because we have to, but it is so hard. You always here people say in time the pain gets easier, but that is just not the case. Today is 8 months since Brandon left us and went to heaven and my heart hurts so much. I feel so lost without him in my life. He made are family complete and it is so hard to go on without him. Scott and I got so use to having him with us all the time because he was to sick to go off with friends like most teenagers do. Brooke was on the go all the time and still is, so it is very quiet around the house. This time last year Brandon was really sick, but we still were doing so much to make memories. We were always busy and now it is very calm. That can make you sit and do a lot of thinking. I am still not working (even though I need to be for the money). I have been looking a little bit, but it is such a struggle for me to even think about working. I have not worked outside of the house since Brandon got sick, which is almost 4yrs now. I was his caregiver 24/7 and it is very hard to think about going back into the work force again. I would really like to get into the medical field. I think at some point I would like to go back to school to be a nurse. For now I would love to just get in a Dr. office and run the front desk or something, but they all want experience. Hopefully something will work out soon. I sure do have medical experience just not paper.

We have been busy with Brooke. She has had a lot going on with it being the end of the school year. It is her 8th grade year and she is graduating on fri. With everything that has happened this year she has done so good in school and we are so proud of her. When a child becomes sick with cancer they grow up very fast and so does their siblings. Especially when the child with cancer passes away. Her and I along with her best friend Jordan and her mom are taking a girls trip to NY City. Brooke has been asking for this for her grad. and her 14th birthday coming up the 25th of June. It just worked out that Pam is going up for business and we just had to get plane tickets, food and any fun stuff we plan on doing. We are leaving this Sun thru Wed. We are staying in the same hotel that we stayed with Brandon on his wish trip in July last year. It will be strange and good at the same time. She deserves it and I am glad we were able to work it out.

We have had a lot of things still going on in Brandons name. One of them is The Brandon Elam Scholarship that Hometown Heroes has decided to do every year at Porteridge Highschool. Scott and I along with Chris and Donnie presented it to a 12th grade girl that is planning on going to school to be a nurse. We are still working on the memorial garden that will also be at the school. It is getting there. You have a lot of people you have to go thru before they can start. We hope to have another meeting soon with the ground breaking next. The next big event is the 24hrs of Booty Bike Ride on July 25th and 26th. We have a team set up called Brandon's ELAM-N8 CANCER Team in Brandons memory. This will be the 4th year (i think) that there has been a team for Brandon. In the past is was called Booty for Brandon that Chuck Cullen and Christina DeKraay along with others rode in and raised the money. This year Scott and I are joining them along with some other friends. If you would like to join the team and come out with us for fun we would love to have you. Go to the 24hrs of Booty website and find Brandons team name (Brandon's ELAM-N8 CANCER Team) and get signed up. Here is a website with Brandon's info http://www.24hoursofbooty.org/site/TR/Bike/General?team_id=1460&pg=team&fr_id=1050&s_tafId=1084 As of now his team is in the lead. what a honor it would be to Brandon if he could stay in the lead. It is a very easy bike ride and we will have a lot of fun. This is something Brandon always wanted to do when he got better. Scott and I know he would be glad we are going to be out this year.

Thank you for still checking in on us. I know everyone looks for updates all the time. I am doing them the best I can. We still love to hear from you and read you guest entries. All of the kind words mean so much to us. Please still keep us in your thoughts and prayers. It is what keeps us going. Also keep all the other families that are still battling cancer or have just been told the news that their child has cancer and for all the families that have lost a child to cancer in you prayers. This is a never ending horrible disease destroying families everyday. We just lost another child that we got to know last week. Please pray for Kalen Frizzell's family as they try to go on without her.

Love to all,
Anita, Scott and Brooke
The proud parents and proud sister to Brandon forever!!!

Brandon,
I know I talk to you all the time, but I have not felt anything from you on a long time and when I did I was not sure if it was you or just my mind playing tricks on me. I really ? where you have gone. I know you are in heaven and I know it is a great place, but it just feels like it is so far away and I have no connection to you at all. If you are around and listening to my begging please take time out of your new life to visit with me. I am trying to keep my promise to you to move forward with my life with out you in it, but it is very hard because I feel nothing from you and told me you would be there for me. Please buddy give me something to hold on to. I need some kind of hope. I love you so much and miss you like i never thought I could. You were the best son I could have ever wanted and I know you are one of the best Angels in heaven.
I Love You!
Mom

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Hospital Information:

CAROLINAS MEDICAL CENTER
1000 BLYTHE BLVD
CHARLOTTE, NC 28203

Links:

E-mail Author: selam46@carolina.rr.com

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