Brandon the Brave

Brandon is a strong, brave & sweet little boy, only 7 years old, but has been through so much in his young life.  Brandon was diagnosed with hereditary pancreatitis in November of 2012 but  has had symptoms since birth. Genetic testing revealed that Brandon has PRSS1 gene mutation that causes hereditary chronic pancreatitis. Pancreatitis is the inflammation of the pancreas. It causes the pancreas to digest itself. It is a chronic pain condition. Hereditary Pancreatitis (HP) is a rare genetic condition characterized by recurrent episodes of pancreatic attacks, which can progress to chronic pancreatitis, which in Brandon’s case, sadly it has. At this time, there is no cure for HP, however research is being done and we are hopeful there will be a cure soon.

An avid Georgia Bulldog fan, Brandon has spent much of his young life in and out of the hospital.  He has been hospitalized many times to control pain with narcotics which is necessary for his comfort, which still equates to an enormous amount of pain & discomfort that he must fight through with each attack.  Brandon has suffered with stones in his pancreatic duct which has required multiple surgeries to remove but none have been successful in reducing pain.  Brandon has an  NJ feeding tube to provide him with nutrition.  

The only viable treatment that gives Brandon the possibility of living a pain free life outside of the hospital is a total pancreatectomy with auto islet transplant (tp ait).  Brandon's surgery is scheduled for February 12 at University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.  They will be leaving for Minneapolis on February 1  to relocate for 3-4 months to recover  under the care of the expert transplant team. The surgery itself will last anywhere from 8-12 hours where his pancreas, gallbladder, spleen and a portion of small  intestine will be removed.  The insulin producing islet cells are extracted  from his pancreas and then injected into his liver.  The goal of the surgery is to improve quality of life and reduce pain and the risk of complications  as well as pancreatic cancer. 

Any donations will be used to help offset the cost of surgery/recovery/medications not covered by insurance and to assist with relocation and travel. Thank you so much for your prayers and any donations possible. Anyone that knows Brandon, knows that he is a Super Hero, enduring more than most with the strongest fight you have ever seen.  We love you, Brandon.