Alaska Girl Fights Rare Cancer

To all of you out there with children. To all of you out there who know cancer. To all of you out there who know loss, and to all those of you who would run into a burning building without hesitation, I am asking your help.

My name is Brian Horner, and for the past 37 years my occupation has been to instruct survival training programs for people at risk, and that includes military and civilian.  I’m considered an expert in the field of helping people train to survive horrible conditions. But right now, I’m just a scared father of a 29 year old girl named Briana. I’m trying to understand Grey Zone Lymphoma Cancer, and wondering how many days in a row that I can watch my little girl’s heart break, without losing my mind. I just can’t lose another daughter, not another one.

You see, I had another daughter… Her name was Kelly Jean Horner. In 2008 she had a heart attack in her dorm room at Eastern Washington State University. No drugs, no Alcohol, no boyfriend, just a chubby B+ student who wanted to be a journalist. Six days after her heart attack I held her in my arms, stroking her hair, watching her breathing slow, and her heart eventually stop. Standing next to me was Bob Ploof, a past Chief Master sergeant of the USAF Survival School, there in Spokane Washington. His hand was on my shoulder as I sobbed, he said no words, he held me up as my ex- military brother in arms….and he carried me away from that hospital battlefield, my heart forever limping, scarred for life, and for a while, afraid of life.

 But my other daughter Briana Kristen Horner, was a major part of my recovery from losing Kelly. While losing her only sister, she helped me, her mother Darlene and anybody involved with hugs, text of support and a million “I love you Dad” stickers on my computer monitor. While dealing with her pain, she went to school for pet grooming and found out she had a gift, and became the best in the entire state of Alaska! This girl can take a deranged cat or a spastic dog and whisper it into relaxing. She has an oneness with animals that they can sense, and a warmness of heart that both humans and pets give themselves up to. She’s artistic, and she paints Alaska scenes on oar paddles. She loves camping, hates spaghetti, “snorts” when she laughs, and won’t let anybody touch her feet, ever. She takes in stray pets of every type, and provides free dog grooming to the local animal shelter. Yep, she’s one of those people.

She got engaged two months ago, and I love this guy. I couldn’t, and wouldn’t pick another guy for my daughter. He is big in size, bigger in heart. He can handle a wrench, handle a gun and someday he will hold my grandchild. He’s a good boy and a good man, his sleeves are always rolled up and he’s not afraid of hard work. I told him, that’s going to help in the months ahead…..

You see, on May 11th, Briana was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, GREY ZONE LYMPOMA which only had 300 cases in the entire U.S. all last year. It is a combination of both Hodgkin’s and Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and the treatment options are not completely defined. She also has a large “fist size” tumor in her chest that is inoperable due to its size and proximity to the heart. In addition she has cancer on her kidneys, on a rib and on her femur.   There’s no easy way to put it, it is stage 4 cancer, we are in a survival situation, and she will be fighting for her life. She knows this, and she’s preparing for the battle. She is looking it straight in the face and telling it she is going to kick its ass. Today May 22, 2016 is day one of Chemo.

I’m not asking for me, I’m asking for her. She’s going to need special treatment for this disease and the cost are indeterminable. As a father, as a veteran, as a survival education trainer, and as a medic, I know what I need.

I’m calling on Rescue.

Thank You, Please donate whatever you can, please provide encouragement and stories of success. I will keep you all posted on her progress as “she kicks ass”.