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Above and Beyond
With surgery, radiation and chemotherapy a thing of the past, 7 year-old Kendra Brown is free to enjoy the usual childhood challenges presented by warm, sunny skies
For the Brown family, Mott's professionals saved not only a life but the family's spirit as well
“Your daughter has a brain tumor.” No parent is prepared to hear those words, and Kathy Brown remembers the day in 2002 when she and her husband, Randy, got the diagnosis that their four-year-old daughter, Kendra, had brain cancer. Kathy and Randy Brown credit the University of Michigan Health System with saving their daughter’s life. “We weren’t sure if we’d ever be going home with her,” recalls Kathy. “They gave us our daughter back.”
The Browns traveled 400 miles from their home in Fayette—in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula—to Ann Arbor, and realized very quickly the severity of the situation. Kendra’s surgery to have the tumor removed was scheduled just a few days after they arrived in Ann Arbor.
Knowing that there was a 50 percent chance that Kendra might not survive the surgery made saying goodbye extremely difficult for Kathy, Randy and the rest of Kendra’s family. Karin Muraszko, M.D., chair and professor of Neurosurgery and chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery, performed the surgery and removed a tumor the size of an orange from Kendra’s brain stem. The Browns are extremely grateful to Muraszko. Kathy says, “She’s fantastic.”
Three weeks later, Kendra’s radiation and chemotherapy treatments began. For a 2-month period, Kendra received treatments every day except Christmas and New Year’s Day.
Through all of this, the Browns felt incredibly supported by the medical staff. Kathy says, “Yes, they are medical professionals, but these people became like family. They are truly caring individuals. They’re not just doctors or nurses or child life specialists doing their jobs. They truly show that they care, and they want to spend time with you.”
The Browns definitely felt that Kendra’s doctor, Patricia Robertson, M.D., David G. Dickinson Collegiate Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases, and associate professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and Neurology, went above and beyond to help not just Kendra, but also her parents. Kathy recalls one late night when Robertson visited her in Kendra’s hospital room. Kathy recalls, “She spent 45 minutes with me to make sure that I was okay.”
The Browns are also grateful for the caring nurses, especially Susie Weber. Kathy describes Weber and Kendra as “inseparable.” Each time they see each other Weber and Kendra spend minutes hugging, and they are in their own world catching up. Kathy appreciates how Susie does everything possible to reduce Kendra’s fears and keep her happy. Kathy says, “She’s the greatest. She’s so caring.”
Kendra's cancer treatment was brightened by child life specialist Jenni Gretzema (left)
The child life specialists also became extremely important to the Browns. “I haven’t met one of them who didn’t go above and beyond,” Kathy says. Child and Family Life provides activities and therapies to help make hospital stays and clinic visits more normal. During her visits, Kendra enjoyed the crafts and activities provided by the child life staff. “They are godsends to parents. I don’t know how any parent does it without them,” she adds.
The Browns are also thankful for caring people like Stan Johnson, the unit host on Mott’s unit 7. “Stan is the most willing person to help you in any way possible.” Kathy recalls that each time Kendra was admitted, Stan would quickly get her the special door sign she used for every hospital visit, her favorite movies, “and everything to make it more like home for her.”
Now Kendra is a seven-year-old with lots of dreams. When asked what she wants to be when she grows up, she answers, “a baby doctor, so other kids won’t be sick.”
For information on how you can help the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, click here to donate on-line.
