Brendan.. An inspiration to us all!

I will never forget the night Brendan called me to tell me he had brain cancer.  My wife and I sat in disbelief for what seemed to be all night long.  We couldn't imagine our lives without him.  What about his wife and 3 kids?  How could this happen to him... 

Brendan's story is a truly incredible story of hope, courage, inspiration, setbacks, and miracles.

If you know Brendan, you know the kind of person he is.  He is a hard worker, a loving husband, a great father to three kids and a friend to count on.  With a smile on his face and a spark in his eye, he is always positive and tries hard to spread that positivity through encouragement and support to others.

Brendan has never been afraid to leverage his gift for gab, and his biggest story is of his persistent fight with brain cancer…glioblastoma multiforme Grade IV.  When Brendan was told he was going to die seven years ago, he said, “No, I’m not! Who’s going to fix this?”  Clinical trials 1,700 miles away at Duke University was his answer, and together, they beat his brain cancer... for a while...

Then he was told four years ago his cancer was back, so he signed up for another, even more cutting edge, clinical trial.  Brendan became the eighth person to have a modified polio virus infused into his tumor, but unfortunately after removing the catheter from his head, a blood vessel burst.  This caused a massive stroke and he should not have survived that night.  But, Brendan said, “I’m not dying tonight! And I will continue to fight!” (Not really because he lost his speech along with all movement with his right arm and leg.  But, if he could speak, that is what he would have said but maybe with a few expletives!)

Brendan's unexpected stroke forced him to once again dig deep and find new courage to begin another difficult journey.  Unable to speak clearly, and unable to use his right arm and leg, he was going to have to learn how to do everything in a new way. Over time, his persistence has allowed him to regain some speech and movement. Intensive therapies still continue to this day. Through all of this hardship, Brendan was told the cancer was still there.  Yet he once again beat the cancer... until recently...

Seven months ago a change was noticed on a third tumor (or another head cold as Brendan likes to say).  After a biopsy was done and results came back, it was indeed a new head cold (cancer) developing.  Without question or hesitation, Brendan volunteered for a second dose of polio (the first person to ever undergo multiple polio infusions) along with one dose of chemo.  The tumor is breaking apart but with this therapy, it will take some time to go away and requires a lot of travel back and forth from Montana to North Carolina.

            Brendan’s motto from day one…March 13, 2010….has always been, “It’s not about me, it’s about everyone else who is fighting disease and those left behind”. Brendan will keep fighting and keep winning and keep helping with medical advancements!

Brendan and his story were recently featured on CBS 60 Minutes: https://www.dukehealth.org/blog/60-minutes-updates-viewers-poliovirus-therapy-glioblastoma

Brendan prefers to be the one giving and not the one to be receiving, but the years of fighting cancer and a stroke are having a financial toll on him and his family. Brendan continually finds himself traveling to Duke for surgeries, treatments, and testing. When he isn't undergoing medical treatments and therapy, Brendan is giving hope to newly diagnosed cancer patients and working.

A Go Fund Me account has been set up to assist Brendan with his medical bills and travel expenses. Help us give back to a man who has spent the last 7 years fighting for a cure and proving to others that there is hope. Brendan is an inspiration to us all.