Support Brandon's Fight Against Brain Cancer

Hello,

We are Matthew and Shawn Trammel, Brandon's brother and sister-in-law, organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Brandon and his family during what has been the most difficult time of their lives.

On the evening of April 1st, Brandon was in the middle of working through a business issue with a neighbor when he began having word salad - he thought he was saying complete sentences but his wife realized that wasn't the case and rushed him to the hospital in fear he was having a stroke. Brandon was aware of everything happening and now refers to this evening as the "worst April Fool's joke ever." (Yes, he still has his great sense of humor).

When they arrived at the hospital and were finally able to coerce Brandon in, he was rushed back to the Emergency Room on a stroke protocol. He was taken in for a CT scan where he had a Grand Mal seizure. He was rushed back into the ER, stabilized and intubated. Brandon then had several more seizures over the next few hours as they placed him into a medically induced coma and kept an eye on his brain. Due to the seizure the CT scan was only able to capture a hazy image of his brain, but it indicated swelling and a mass on the left side, just behind his ear.

Brandon was taken to the Neuro Trauma Intensive Care Unit. On Friday 4/4/25, around 1:30PM, doctors began to bring Brandon out of the sedation and extubated him. The following 48 hours were very difficult. Brandon was very agitated and uncomfortable, although he was not coherent. When the nurses would perform their checks he would thrash around, sometimes yelling, but not forming words. The doctors were also very concerned that he was unable to see and he would not track movement when he would open his eyes. He had to be restrained to prevent him from attempting to get out of the bed or pull out any of his IVs. All of this was very hard for the family to see, knowing he must be so confused and afraid as well as worrying about the possibility of permanent damages from the seizures and swelling in his brain. The nursing staff was so compassionate throughout, knowing how difficult the circumstances were on Brandon and his family.

In the early morning hours of Sunday 4/6/25, Brandon finally awoke and began communicating. While he was still a little disoriented, he began making huge strides from the mere hours before. As he began to understand where he was, he shared with family and nurses that he believed he'd been kidnapped, held for ransom, and that he needed to fight his way out of his restraints to get to his family. Although he was weak from all that his body endured, Brandon progressed through his Speech Therapy and Physical Therapy, walking through the NTICU on Sunday late-afternoon. And on Monday 4/7/25, Brandon was able to move out of the NTICU and into a regular room.

If you know Brandon, it wouldn't surprise you to hear that he asked each nurse working his case into his room individually so that he could apologize for putting them through everything the last week had brung. They obliged, assured him there was no need to apologize and were just happy to see him on the other side.

Even while having virtually no major medical issues before all of this happened, several scans and tests have revealed that Brandon has a brain tumor that is cancerous. The doctors don't believe this to be a worst-case-scenario, however he does have a long road ahead of him that will be rife with physical and financial challenges. The family is currently awaiting the remaining pathology results which will determine the grade and type of tumor, which will then determine the plan of attack the family will need to undergo.

Brandon came home on 4/11/25. He's accepted this diagnosis and is in great spirits. Since coming out of the hospital, he's lost over 30 pounds, is doing simple body and balance exercises, walking, and making great strides toward a stronger and healthier life. His wife is running most of the show, while his immediate family and doctors are already helping guide him toward the next life phase. His 15-year-old daughter told Brandon that she knew he wasn't done with life yet. Brandon is her person and she's so thankful to have him home. His plan is to go back to work and be around for a long time, and he's asking God to use him however He needs to.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

First and foremost, Brandon is asking for prayer. He feels God working and he's putting his trust and faith in Him.

The family will require financial support. Through all of the hospital care, stays, past and future medication and treatment costs, the financial burden may get out of hand quickly. We are raising funds to help ease these burdens so that Brandon and his family can focus on what matters most: his recovery. If you are able and feel it in your heart to help, we ask you to consider making a donation to help cover medical expenses, transportation to treatment, and everyday costs during this incredibly difficult time. No amount is too small, and every bit helps, truly.

If you'd like to send help to Brandon directly, he can be reached on Venmo at btrammel.

Thank you for standing beside this wonderful family and our big teddy bear Brandon. Your kindness is helping carry them through.

With love,

Matthew and Shawn Trammel, The Trammel and Jordan families