Help Brendan Fight Aggressive Leukaemia - T-ALL (T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia)

Early January of this year, out of nowhere, Brendan (affectionately known as Bren or Brennie) was feeling unwell. In light of Covid-19 and living in Auckland he took himself to Auckland City Hospital.

After many tests he was told that evening he has acute leukaemia. After more blood tests, scans and a bone marrow biopsy we now know it to be T-Cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (T-ALL) which is slightly rare for someone of his age. As this was rapidly progressing and very aggressive, if he’d waited a few more weeks, it would have been fatal.

At that stage a family online meeting was arranged and being the very strong tight knit family, that we are, this was devasting news to say the least. New to any type of family trauma on a scale such as this, there was an array of emotions on the faces of everyone on the screen bewildered, numb, angry, sad, confused. What do you do….? We wipe our eyes, pull up our pants, find out the facts, rally together, be strong for each other, support each other, talk, and just be there when called on.

The situation is very fluid. However, Bren’s been undergoing chemotherapy and will require a stem cell replacement (bone marrow transplant), for which testing is currently underway with his brother Hayden as a possible donor.

For those that do not know Bren, he has always had a sweet yet humorously sassy nature throughout his 35 years. When one thinks of him, a warm smile spreads across your face. He is a quick witted fun-loving caring partner, son, brother, grandson, and nephew of a devoted family who are all rallying around Bren at this time anyway we can.

My sister, Jane, mother of Brendan has dropped everything and left her home in Nelson to be there for Bren (and his partner Shae) in Auckland as moral support and chief advocator in the hospital as well as shared live-in home help care for the intermittent times Bren is able to be at home.

As a parent (this includes his father Paul and Step-Mum Tracey), all you want to do is to protect your child from pain and suffering. For now, just being with Bren in person (and in spirit and support from afar), to help carry the load on a long road ahead is what any concerned parent would do. Unfortunately, this comes at a huge cost not only mentally, physically, and emotionally but also financially.

When we first approached Bren about setting this Give-a-little page up, being a very proud (and stubborn 😉) person, he was extremely reluctant to put anyone out by asking for financial help. However, with each day passing and looking into the future, reality has kicked home as such struggles become more prevalent. He caved in and let me set this page up for him, thank you Bren.