Help for Joe's Brain Tumor

Joe Brawley is a guy with a ridiculous laugh and an infectious positive attitude toward life. If you have ever crossed paths with this guy, you know how authentic he is as a friend and he is always looking for ways to help. My favorite part about being around Joe is seeing him become a dad to our daughter where he gives his entire focus and heart to being around our family. He’s never the type to burden anyone, which is why with encouragement from our friends and family, I am reaching out for help on his behalf.

Joe has battled head pain ever since I’ve known him. Pain meds used to work, until suddenly they didn’t. In April, It was severe pain that led Joe to seek medical help and at age 34, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. A schwannoma on the trigeminal nerve in his brain. The trigeminal nerve operates face function, eye function, and mouth movement. Part of this tumor is even pressing on his spinal column and we believe this is the cause of his constant pain. This type of tumor is typically benign (non-cancerous) but we won’t know for sure until they biopsy it when they remove it through surgery. Because of its size, it is not a candidate for radiation, so we were encouraged that if he plans on going on with life for another 50 years, we need to move forward with surgery.

Because of the size and tricky location of this tumor, we are going out of state to see a skull base surgeon at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, AZ. In the past three months, we have gone through a journey with Joe’s head pain. After a trip to the ER, multiple tests, medication, and waiting in pain, we are happy we can see a doctor that is qualified to operate on Joseph.

We will have our first consultation with this doctor in Phoenix on July 26. It is then that we can have a clearer picture of what the surgery and recovery will look like. As far as I know, they have to enter from two different locations on his head. With something like this and out-of-state, Joe does plan on going on disability with his job. He has been the sole provider for our family while I have stayed home to care for our daughter so our household income during this time will be decreased while he goes on disability to recover. And as you know about insurance, hopefully, this out-of-state surgery is covered despite it being out of network. We face at minimum hitting our out-of-pocket maximum and all the costs associated with us having temporary housing living in Phoenix while Joe is well enough to make the drive back home.

During this time Joe has still been working, but he comes home exhausted. He has been giving his best self to his work to support us at home. He tries to still keep the spark of joy in his eyes, but many days it’s faded. Despite the hardship, we operate with gratitude for life in the present. We see God working in our lives. It was more than luck we had in getting connected to the neurosurgeon in Phoenix. I also see spiritual energy working itself in me as I care for Joe and our daughter. We have also reflected on the perfect timing of our unexpected move close to family. We never anticipated this hardship and are so happy to be near their support. Many of you friends continue to ask how you can help, and I ask for your prayers, for uplifting words, for positive thoughts, and in humility, for financial support for our family at this time. I hope that in the way we are already blessed by our community, blessings will return to you as well.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Elisa Brawley, the Brawley Family, Cedillos Family, and Supportive Family and Friends