BrennaKasoff
Third Generation to Live in Dundalk, MD.
She graduated from Dundalk High School in June 2013. In August 2013, she went off to Northern Michigan University excited to begin her college adventure. Imagine her mom’s surprise, when Brenna phoned on 11/24/13 to tell her that she was diagnosed by the hospital in Michigan with "advanced ovarian cancer."
This is Brenna’s mother’s account:
Brenna and I left Michigan on 11/26/13 for our journey home to Dundalk, MD. Brenna ill and vomiting... struggling to walk through the small airport in Michigan.I arranged for wheelchairs at connecting flights and was in touch with family and friends (who still worked logistics - from airport pick up to finding specialist who could see her on short notice).There was concern about our flight to Detroit being delayed and I remember speaking to the flight attendant, tears rolling, because I knew time would make the difference for Brenna.
On the Detroit layover, I was increasingly certain that the flight was too much, and Brenna was in need of medical intervention. She wanted to push on."I just want to go home."On the flight, she said "Let's go right to the hospital from the airport.Leave my luggage."
We saw Dr. Rosenshein that afternoon, and Brenna was admitted to Mercy Hospital by that evening. She was scheduled for surgery the next day. Dr. Rosenshein described the tumor as the size of a child's football. He told us that Brenna may have not seen another day without surgery,In 24 hours, her condition changed that significantly. He also told us that tumors still existed and Brenna would need chemotherapy. He did not confirm or deny that the cancer was ovarian. We only knew it was rare and aggressive.
This is where I change my viewpoint a bit, and ask you to take Brenna's position. Imagine you are 18 years old.You arrive home to an immediate need for surgery.Going to sleep thinking maybe, just maybe, your ovaries may be removed. She woke in Intensive Care with a complete hysterectomy, ileostomy, and bladder resection, unable to move or lift her leg due to nerve damage. She woke to an entirely different world with challenges more than most of face in a lifetime.
Two weeks after her surgery, her cancer was given a name. Desmoplastic small round cell; it is rare and aggressive. Thankfully, so is Brenna. She's fighting with all she has.
We are fortunate for the love and support of family, extended family and friends who have prayed, encouraged, and assisted with managing our family routine. Chemotherapy began on December 26, 2013. We are learning to go moment by moment, and to make them count. We are indebted to those who have done so much for us, and we pray we can return the blessings. To follow her journey, leave words of encouragement or make donations, please visit: