Well who would've thought that here we'd be...again! Running yet another half marathon...truth be told I hate running! (Insert apology to junior high PE teacher Berardi here:) sorry dude) But team up with a phenomenal kiddo's hospital and suddenly I'm 3 pairs of running shoes in and a total nerd every time there's a sale at a runners store!
The best part? I got mah girrrrlll back!!
Yyyyep! Ms. Erin Bratton and I made such a fearless team last year that we just couldn't let go of each other for this one....I'm not sure I can accurately depict exactly how this larger than life young lady has impacted my life, and those around me, but I simply adore this girl. She's got a fantastic family behind her so it's not hard to find where her charm comes from!The fight she's got in her is unwavering and awe-inspiring. From the setbacks to the every day schedule of "healing" for Erin, she takes it all in stride with a simple "I'll get through it". (I've found I should be better using that statement in my own life, can you?;))
Both of our families were there for the race last year and afterwards, in the thousands of people looking for their groupies, Erin's papa Mike was the first to find me. Now, keep in mind I had only met him once before the race and I had just run 13.1 miles for the first time in my life. You'd think it miiiight be an awkward or somewhat quiet moment? Nope, big hug and lots of congrats and thank yous later, it was like my own family had found me, and you know what? When I saw my family and Erin's, I was expecting to introduce everyone, but they were already, well..."family". It made me, the runner, incredibly proud. All thanks to one very beautiful and inspiring young fighter....
I'll leave you with Erin's own story told in her own words but of course I need to ask for your help, big or little, once or multiple times. Our goal this year is $1500 but of course every shiny penny helps and will be appreciated by all the little hearts and smiles at one huge mecca of love at PCH....
My name is Erin Bratton and I am a cavernous hemangioma and paralysis survivor. My journey with PCH begins twelve years ago, at the age of four. When my parents and I were sent down to PCH back then it was part of Good Samaritan, to have a MRI of my brain. When we arrived at the ER there was already a team of doctors waiting to evaluate me. Hours went by and the neurologist came and told my parents the news. Erin says a "golf ball size cavernous hemangioma brain tumor and it would need to be removed. " One week on August 24th,
1998, after a six hour surgery, the doctors could not predict the outcome of the surgery until I woke up the next day. When I woke up the next day, I was confused and completely paralyzed on my right side with no speech. The doctors couldn’t predict if my function on the right side would come back until days later. Unfortunately my function on the right side didn’t come back all the way. After two weeks of recovery from brain surgery, I started intense occupational, physical, and speech therapy at the hospital. After a month of therapy I was still unable to walk but I was discharged from the hospital. For a year and a half I had to go back to PCH three times a week to have my therapies. After that time I regained as much as I could with therapy on my own. In 2003, I started having regular Botox injection every three to six months to reduce my spasticity and dystonia, (as a result from my paralysis) and the treatment worked until 2009; we found out that Botox would not be my permanent solution. We were referred to go see a movement disorder specialist about alternatives to Botox, he suggested Baclofen Pump. Two months later I was admitted to PCH to see if a Baclofen Pump trial would work and it did. So Baclofen Pump reduces my spasticity. Now I still have to deal with orthopedic issues that have arrived over the past eleven years and will still have to be watched neurologically for the rest of my life, but I am a happy healthy sophomore going to Xavier College Preparatory and hopefully becoming a pediatric neurosurgeon one day thanks to Phoenix Children’s Hospital!!
Amazin' huh? Help us reach our goal and you'll be a big part in helping this ray of light reach hers :)
Thank you? Yeah, times a million....