Cooper’s Lifechanging Story / How His Story Changed My Life
Brain Tumor Warrior
From Cooper’s GoFundMe page:
July 29, 2020
Cooper turned 23 in April, and a month later he began suffering from seizures. After getting the first MRI of many, he was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Cooper was at the Mayo Clinic most days up until his brain surgery on July 20th. When he woke up, he had unexpected side effects and had removal of impulse control as well as paralysis on his left side. Three days after surgery, he was transported to a rehabilitation center. His second day there he was forgotten and left unattended and unmoved until after he had begun seizing again that evening. He was rushed back to Mayo where they discovered he had a blood clot in his brain as well as a blood clot in his leg from not moving. He had to undergo his second surgery in a week, but this time on his heart to help prevent the blood clot from causing a stroke. He is still in the hospital recovering and awaiting test results.
Depending on the grade of the tumor, he may need to undergo chemo, radiation, or additional surgeries. Each day he needs physical therapy and occupational therapy when he is at the hospital, and he will need in-home treatment when he is able to come home. He is also receiving medication to help control the blood clot in his brain.
Cooper has been suffering from extreme physical pain, and due to COVID-19, he can only have one parent visit per day, causing extreme emotional pain. He has had more than 20 brain scans so far, 2 lengthy surgeries, 4 COVID tests, and daily therapy, on top of all the time spent at the hospital and rehab center. Even with insurance all of this seems impossible. More so, the required home health care is not insured.
Everyone who has worked with Cooper has been amazed by his positivity. He loves his family, his friends, his skateboard, and his favorite soccer team Liverpool. He has one of the biggest hearts I’ve ever known and is the bravest brain tumor warrior I’ve ever witnessed.
We will continue to post updates and ask that you keep Cooper and our family in your thoughts and prayers.
July 31, 2020
Yesterday we were able to bring Cooper home! He is still recovering and awaiting test results, while still trying to control the blood clots. He had his first in home physical therapy session today and is still in great spirits. Thank you to everyone who has been sharing our story and supporting our family.
Being the Sister
Cooper and I are exactly 23 months and 18 days apart. Of course, we tell people we are two years apart because for most of the year we are. But for two weeks after my birthday, we are only one year apart and for some reason, I’ve always loved those two weeks. It seems like so long ago I was celebrating the days before Cooper’s birthday. Two months after my favorite two weeks everything changed, and it almost seems hard to remember a time before the bad. Before quarantine, before my brother got sick.
There have been so many significant events since this journey began that it can get all mixed up in my head, but I’ll never forget the moment I heard, “Cooper has a brain tumor.” The world felt like it stopped spinning for a moment and before I felt anything I slipped into denial. It could’ve been the shock or overwhelming flight response, but none of it seemed real to me. Cooper wasn’t sick, he looked fine. I talked to him all the time, just not about that. I knew he was having seizures, but if I never looked, he was okay. I knew Cooper was at Mayo Clinic most days, and when the doctors had bad news I knew they were wrong. I just knew Cooper would be fine, he wasn’t sick, and if I continued to ignore the problem it would go away. I was working so hard convincing myself he was okay that I became too preoccupied to do anything else.
There’s been so much medical talk, so many emotions, so many things that have been so hard to wrap my head around since this journey began, but I’ll never forget the moment I realized my brother has a brain tumor. His surgery was scheduled. He was going to be in the hospital and I wasn’t going to be able to see him. This was real and he was sick. My best friend was about to get poked and prodded in the brain and there was absolutely nothing I could do. I felt everything at once. Everything that had happened in the past two months hit me like a truck.
Having Cooper in the hospital for 10 days was horrible because I couldn’t visit him and I felt so useless knowing my brother was hurting and alone and there was nothing I could do. I was scared, but so was everyone, so I had to be strong. The day we brought him home was almost as hard as not seeing him. I could see him and hug him and try to make him comfortable, but it was heartbreaking. My big brother, who had saved me so many times, was sick and I couldn’t save him. I wish I could take all the pain for him because he doesn’t deserve any of this.
Cooper has always had a strong influence on me, but in the past couple months he has changed me. He was always a good older brother and I looked up to him. I still do, but it’s different now that we’re (kinda) adults. We’re best friends and we’re so similar. But the way he handled this situation was unlike anything I could’ve ever done. He has been so brave making the pain look easy. He is so positive and has been throughout this whole battle, still smiling in every picture. He hasn’t felt bad for himself at all and keeps finding things to be grateful for.
I was supposed to be helping him, but of course he was helping me. While I was filling his water he was giving me a more hopeful outlook on life. This has been a crazy year for so many people, but this is something I never expected my brother to go through. I know I can’t save Cooper but I know I can be there and I can share his story. Asking for help is hard, asking for money sucks, but Coopers ongoing battle that began in June is hard and sucks and everything people have done is so appreciated. We still have a long road ahead of us so please keep Cooper in your thoughts and prayers, share his story, and donate if you can.
