Charlie Brooks

On August 12, 2020 Sawyer Brooks (8) was diagnosed with stage 2 Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma. We were told he would undergo two rounds of chemotherapy since his cancer was caught extremely early. Sawyer completed his two rounds of chemotherapy by the end of 2020. During the time he was in the hospital getting chemo, two of his beloved Labrador retrievers passed away. They were 13 and 14 years old. This was really hard on him since one died with each hospital admission. While Sawyer finished up chemo rather quickly, he battled a lung infection that required him to take antibiotics for six weeks. 2020 finished out with our family trying to get “back to normal”.

Sawyer had scans in January 2021 showing some inflammation and intestinal wall thickening. His oncologist was concerned with this since his cancer originated in his abdominal area. They decided to watch this area in his next scans in April since he had abdominal surgery August 2020. The scans in April continued to show the intestinal wall thickening. In May 2021 Sawyer had to undergo an upper and lower endoscopy. This was a nerve wrecking procedure. We didn’t know what would be uncovered during this. Unfortunately, the colonoscopy/endoscopy was inconclusive. We were told that Sawyer would undergo surgery to remove the 3-5cm of intestinal wall that was thick for biopsy. On Mother’s Day, Sawyer was admitted to the hospital for surgery the following morning. We were shocked to learn that instead of the 3-5cm of intestinal wall, the surgeon ended up removing his appendix, 45cm of his intestine, part of his colon, part of his ilium, and 27 lymph nodes. The surgeon did this because he couldn’t distinguish where the intestinal wall thickening was per say. It didn’t feel overly thick. As shocking as all of this is, I am really grateful that he did this. They were able to biopsy everything that was inflamed from Sawyer’s last PET/CT Scans. We were told that EVERYTHING came back as non-cancerous!! September 2, 2021 was a day we will not forget…Sawyer had his port removed. This was a full circle day for him. September 2, 2020 was his first dose of Chemotherapy and September 2, 2021 his port was removed.

The 2022 year has taken an emotional toll on Sawyer. The year started off on a positive note with PET/CT Scans revealing no evidence of disease. While we celebrate that Sawyer is cancer free, the emotional rollercoaster of having had cancer is really hitting him this year. Every scan and clinic visit gets harder and harder for him emotionally. He struggles with the fact that he was diagnosed with cancer. He struggles now every time he hears someone else is diagnosed with cancer. Sawyer gets super emotional every time he hears a news story of another person who has cancer. September of this year was a big eye opener for our family to realize just how much Sawyer is struggling. September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, Sawyer’s emotions were at their highest during this month. This is when our family realized that Sawyer has PTSD from his diagnosis.

Throughout Sawyer’s journey, he has maintained positive spirits and in fact, has been a beacon of hope for another family member of ours that was also diagnosed with cancer. Sawyer has such a kind and generous heart for a ten-year-old. All he wants to do is make everyone laugh, smile and leave you in a better mood than before you met him. Sawyer loves the outdoors, fishing, hiking, camping, soccer, swimming, playing baseball, drawing, video games and anything camo! Sawyer has surprised us all by taking part of his school’s steel drum band. Music has really helped him decompress this year. Our family is super blessed and beyond grateful that you have chosen to help our family this Christmas! The past few years certainly haven't been easy for us. We make the most out of what we are given and never take a day for granted. You have no idea what this will mean to our entire family. Thank you so much from the bottom of our hearts!

Charlie loves the outdoors as well. Hiking, swimming, boating, baseball, and fishing are his top outdoor favorites. Charlie is an animal lover, history buff, and Star Wars LEGO crazed kid. Charlie currently has fancy bearded dragons as pets. In the years past, he brought the bearded dragons to school to give presentations on reptiles. Charlie is very outgoing and passionate. Charlie is passionate about perfecting his baseball game. We are very proud of him. Charlie has really struggled with his brother’s diagnosis. Not just him having cancer, but also feeling left out and helpless. Charlie had to undergo some therapy to help him cope with his feeling which weren’t easy for him to talk about. Charlie is a super sweet, spunky, fun-loving young man. He has really stepped up to the plate and taken on more responsibilities to help around the house.

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/OHLKOUZLZ36B?ref=cm_sw_em_r_un_un_oW93JTfeBWnhK - Star Wars Lego sets: Death Star Trash Compactor Diorama (set#75339) - Frankie’s Fun Park experience (he loves to go to the batting cage and ride the go carts) - Timex Expedition Digital Watch with Nylon strap- black/gray T49661JT (found at Target). - Charlie loves to wear solid blue shirts (Adult L). He says they bring out his blue eyes (which they do)! - Charlie loves to shop at Target and Amazon too. Shirt Size: Men L Pant Size: 34/32 Men