When their son Ryan was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in 2014, life changed instantly for Doug and Brandie Branscome of Fort Wayne, IN. After enduring Ryan’s lengthy period of treatments, beginning in Indianapolis and subsequently closer to their home, the Branscome family continues to support the Treasure Chest Foundation by organizing annual holiday toy drives with the help of friends and family members. POTCF Founder and CEO Colleen Kisel recently conducted an informative interview with Brandie and came away impressed by the courage, strength and invincible spirit displayed by families like the Branscomes who are battling cancer.

POTCF: Can you tell me about the time when Ryan was diagnosed?

Brandie: Ryan was only two years old when he was diagnosed with ALL. It took the doctors many tests, including MRI’s and bone marrow aspirations, to finally find Ryan’s final cancer diagnosis. He was quite the trooper, since he was only two years old and was admitted to the hospital for a while!

POTCF: How was Ryan’s cancer initially detected? 

Brandie: Our first sign that Ryan had something going on was joint swelling and pain in his elbow. Our local doctor thought that Ryan had osteomyelitis (bone infection). Ryan even had surgery to clean out the infected area and a PICC line placed to have daily antibiotic infusions.  However, during this time he continued to have issues, including high fevers. Doug and I decided to seek further treatment at Riley Hospital in Indianapolis. Within 12 hours of Ryan being admitted, doctors realized that something more than a bone infection was happening.  Ryan had two bone marrow biopsies, then his cancer diagnosis was given.

POTCF: What type of treatment did Ryan go through? 

Brandie: Ryan went through about three-and-a-half years of cancer treatment. The first six months were the toughest with the worst chemotherapy drugs and side effects. The rest of the years were spent on maintenance treatment where Ryan continued to have daily oral chemo, monthly IV chemo and steroids, and spinal tap with chemo every three months.

POTCF: Can you tell me about the hospitalizations/clinic?

Brandie: Since we live in Fort Wayne, once Ryan was discharged home from Riley in Indianapolis, we were able to continue his treatments at Lutheran Hospital. We met Dr. O'Brien and his wonderful staff and nurses. We were so blessed to have Ryan’s treatments so close to home, along with their awesome support!

POTCF: What was the worst part of Ryan’s treatment? 

Brandie: Probably the worst part of Ryan’s treatment, at least to me, was the many spinal taps throughout the years. It was so difficult to watch, yet, I could not leave the room while the whole procedure happened. It was hard as a mom to not have any control, but I gave total trust and faith in the doctor and treatment protocol.

POTCF: What was the best part, if there is a good part, of the clinic/hospital? 

Brandie: Surprisingly, I could share many good things about our experiences with the cancer center. We had wonderful supportive nurses who helped us through the whole three-and-a-half years. They were always there for our family whether it was a trying time or a celebration. They kept things as positive as possible. They introduced us to the Treasure Chest on Ryan’s very first visit. It was the best thing for our two-year-old boy to be given after all that he had been through.

POTCF: Can you tell me about the Treasure Chest at the hospital? 

Brandie: The Treasure Chest was located in the cancer center. On days when Ryan had bigger appointments that involved spinal chemo or similar, he could choose from the “big” prizes. On other appointment days, he would get to choose a toy from the chest. He would spend a good chunk of time looking through every toy in the chest, especially those at the very bottom, before making his choice. I have many fond memories of his small body reaching through all the toys on top of the chest to get to the very special one at the very bottom!

POTCF: Did knowing Ryan would receive a toy help the hospital/clinic experience?

Brandie: Yes, for sure!  On days when Ryan had to have his port accessed, stay for a long time to receive blood, or not be able to eat because of procedures, those toys were rewards that we would help him work toward. Sometimes the toy was so important to Ryan that the nurses would let him go search through the chest to see what all was there, before they would even get him ready for his appointment! The toy that he received was a huge reason that Ryan liked going to his cancer center appointments most of the time.

POTCF: Did your relationship with friends and family change?

Brandie: Yes, during treatment we really learned how important our family was. It took our whole extended family to get through Ryan’s cancer treatment as there were lots of appointments, times when his counts were low and he could not go into public for risk of infection, and many other times when family stepped up to help us out, including all the prayers and emotional support that was given. I believe that our family got stronger because of what we went through.

POTCF: How did Ryan’s sister handle his cancer diagnosis and the aftermath?

Brandie: Kate handled everything really well! She started Kindergarten two months after Ryan was diagnosed and worked really hard. She liked to go to Ryan’s appointments when she was out of school. She was also young enough that she did not understand all that was going on during treatment, but she was very caring, helpful and supportive of Ryan.

POTCF: How did Ryan’s sister handle his cancer diagnosis and the aftermath?

Brandie: Kate handled everything really well! She started Kindergarten two months after Ryan was diagnosed and worked really hard. She liked to go to Ryan’s appointments when she was out of school. She was also young enough that she did not understand all that was going on during treatment, but she was very caring, helpful and supportive of Ryan.

POTCF: Someone told me (Colleen) that my son’s cancer treatment would change me for the better.  Has this changed you in any way? 

Brandie: Yes, they would be correct! Ryan’s diagnosis and treatment changed me for the better.  I feel like I learned a lot about trust, faith and patience, but I also learned the importance of giving back in whatever way I am able to help others.

POTCF: What would you say to a family who just learned their son or daughter had been diagnosed with cancer?

Brandie: That is hard, because each family has their own way of working through this process, but I would tell them to trust in the treatment protocol, ask for help because you will need it and always keep your faith.

POTCF: What would you say to the Treasure Chest Foundation contributors? Please elaborate on the importance of their continued contributions.

Brandie: Thank you for supporting such a wonderful organization! The toys that my son received during treatment were a very important part of his treatment plan. The toys were something for him to look forward to receiving each and every time he went to the cancer center.  The toys are a comfort that are always offered and without your continued support, a child may not have that comfort that he or she really needs. Remember that every donation puts a smile on some sweet kiddo’s face, too!

POTCF: Do you have any final comments for our readers, perhaps a personal story?

Brandie: Our family and friends have held an annual toy drive for eight years now! We feel so fortunate to have been recipients of the services provided by this wonderful organization and want to make sure it continues for all children who are going through their cancer treatments. We really are so grateful for the many toys that Ryan received because they always made his day better. I remember when Ryan chose this great big panda bear from the Treasure Chest one time. It was huge!! It was probably twice as big as he was and he could hardly drag it back to the room, but he was so sure that was the toy he wanted that day. He had the biggest smile on his face walking down the hallway with that big bear!