Meet Braeden

What first seemed like an unusual habit during soccer games turned into every parent’s nightmare when an MRI revealed a brain tumor deep in Braeden’s brain just after he finished fifth grade in 2022. Following a difficult first surgery that led to serious complications and a month-long hospital stay, Braeden had to relearn how to walk while also enduring chemotherapy, countless medical appointments, and multiple platelet transfusions. Despite these challenges, he pushed himself to return to school and keep moving forward.

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After months of seeking opinions from specialists across the country, Braeden’s family made the difficult decision to pursue a second brain surgery at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in 2023. The surgery was a complete success, removing the entire tumor, and today Braeden’s scans remain clear.

 

Now thriving in high school, Braeden is on the fencing team, serves on ECF’s Junior Board, and has returned to the activities he loves while discovering new passions including snowboarding, horseback riding, pickleball, and starting a disc golf club at school.