Bryan’s Story

Angels Among Us 2023 – Team MELLON’S MELON

In March of 2015 Bryan was diagnosed with an 8 centimeter glioma in his left temporal lobe. He needed to have surgery to remove the tumor ASAP. Bryan consulted with several brain surgeons and his prognosis was not good. Surgery would limit his speech, leave him partially paralyzed, and even then only about 30-40% of the tumor would be removed.

And then Bryan received a phone call from his general physician and new neurologist who had contacted Dr. Allan Friedman at Duke. Bryan immediately traveled to meet with Dr. Friedman who not only said he would be able take out most of Bryan’s tumor, but he had no reservations that Bryan would be back at school teaching middle school math again at the beginning of the school year.

Bryan had his extremely successful surgery with Dr. Friedman a week later, in April 2015. Bryan then met Dr. Anick DesJardins who became his Neuro-Oncologist. Dr. DesJardins explained to Bryan that he had a very rare brain tumor and that she would be able to use the cells from his tumor for researching treatments for brain tumors. She also revealed to Bryan that the cause of his brain tumor was “just bad luck.”

Unfortunately, in 2020 when the world was adjusting to the "New Normal" Bryan had a recourance and mutation of his brain tumor. This time is was an astrocytoma. Bryan once again had to have surgery to remove the tumor.

In the wonderful hands of Dr. Friedman, Dr. DesJardins, her nurse Rosemary and countless other dedicated people at the Robert Titch Brain Tumor Clinic, Bryan continues to fight this tumor with strength and dignity.

Please support Bryan as he participates as a survivor in the 2023 Angels Among Us Walk of Hope for the Titch Brain Tumor Clinic at Duke to provide treatment for Bryan and others with stories like his.