Help the Harris Family

My friend Brett needs our help! Brett is trying to keep his cancer in remission and treatments for CVID (Common Variable Immune Deficiency) and GLILD (Granulomatous Lymphocytic Interstitial Lung Disease) going. 

In 2003 Brett was diagnosed with CVID and unfortunately was then diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma in 2012 and then in 2019 with GLILD. 

Brett must endure 4 aggressive chemo treatments every 6 months at the hospital. He receives weekly infusion treatments at home and must maintain daily medications, anywhere from 10-12 per day to keep the disease in remission and to hopefully stop any progression. 

For those of you that know Brett personally, what I am going to share will not be a surprise. But for those of you that do not, my wish is that you understand how special he is to me, his family and his friends. 

Brett moved to Southern California when he was 4 years old from New Jersey and grew up in the Bonita area. He met his amazing wife, Denise, on a blind date in 1985 and they have been married for a glorious 34 years.  They have 2 wonderful children, Lauren and Ross, who have given Brett and Denise 4 fantastic grandkids, Hudson, Harper, Wyatt, and Hayden, and they are the light of their lives! 

He started working for Discount Tire in 1980 and as all employees know, you start as tire tech. His hard work and dedication paid off. Brett worked his way up through the ranks and was promoted to Store Manager in 1990.  He and I met in 1994 when I joined the company. He has been employed with them until recently, due to his health issues. For those of you counting … that is 41 years! 

Brett’s infectious smile, his love for his family and friends, willingness to help those who he cares about, his ability to be the life of the party effortlessly, his humor, and his joke telling, are just a few reasons why I care so much about him and his family and why he brings a smile to my face! 

Sadly, he is no longer able to enjoy his favorite hobbies of going to the desert, riding 4-wheelers, dirt bikes, and sand rails. His love of camping and golfing have been put on hold as well, but I and the family have such amazing memories enjoying these activities with him. As some of you may know, Brett is a MASSIVE MINNESOTA VIKINGS fan, but we won’t hold that against him I have always wondered why and how he became a Vikings fan while growing up in So Cal…. Well, it turns out that he has been a fan since 1969. He took a liking to them because they were on TV, a lot … who knew!? Let’s hope they have a great 2021 season, but we won’t hold our breath, lol!

As one of my closest friends, I am trying to do everything I can to help Brett and his family during this incredibly difficult time. We originally had planned a golf tournament to assist in raising funds to support with the ongoing costs of treatments and medical bills. Unfortunately, due to Covid, we are unable to plan and execute the event to the scale it requires to enable us to raise those funds. In lieu of the golf tournament, this Go Fund Me page has been created with the hopes that we can raise and/or exceed the amount of money that is required to assist the family. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn a little bit about Brett, who started out as my colleague, but has become one of my closest and dearest friends, and someone that I call my brother! I love him and his family as though we are biologically brothers. 

A friend like Brett is like a 4-leaf clover; hard to find and extremely lucky to have! 

With a heavy and hopeful heart, 

Sam Cooper