It takes a village. A saying that is much more needed now than ever before, but less people know what it means.

Anyone who knows Brandon and I knows that we like to be the village. We enjoy offering our help to others in anyway we possibly can. We AREN'T very good at being the villagers and asking for help. Unfortunately, life has thrown us some unexpected curve balls over the last year. Let me give you a rundown...

At the end of June I watched the man I love's life flash before my eyes. Brandon and I were on our way home from The Hangout (2 miles from home), he was on his motorcycle and I was following in the car. As we began into an S-curve leading to a stop sign, Brandon had what we believe was a seizure and went down. TERRIFYING but even more so a blessing. I'll explain.

Brandon walked away from the accident fairly unscathed. He fractured his left clavicle (which still needs treatment but has taken a back seat), gave himself some road rash, and sustained a moderate traumatic brain injury and concussion. A miracle! However, the greater miracle was still to be seen. During the CT scan of his head at the ER, they found a large mass on the right side of his brain between the Occipital and Parietal Lobes. Most likely pre-existing and very concerning. An MRI followed, then a referral to neurosurgery (sooner than later), that led to more images. How this man isn't glowing with radiation I don't know. Dr Lobel, a saint, verified the diagnosis and in October did a biopsy on Brandon's golf ball sized brain tumor. 2 months of biting finger nails led to an oncology appointment at The James., we were informed that Brandon has a level 1 Malignant tumor. A blessing in the face of terminal cancer but a hard road none the less. What this means is that this tumor is very unlikely to metastasize to other areas, radiation and therapy are probably unlikely, however tumor removal is a MUST. This will be scheduled in the next 6 weeks. A follow-up MRI is scheduled for the 16th of Januray and Physical and Cognitive function tests will be done as a baseline for post surgical progress. Like I said it's been a long road.

Due to the broken clavicle and deficits from the accident, Brandon has medically been unable to work since the accident. He continues to suffer from several deficits related to the accident and TBI, the tumor, and the fact the his life hit a brick wall that night. A man as healthy as a horse is now constantly seeing specialists, has to take meds, and is being poked and prodded at every turn. I have been working as much as possible in between appointments and caring for him. There isn't enough hours in the day for me to make ends meet. Not to mention my 1 year old knee replacement needs a revision.

We are struggling. On top of the world one moment to juggling which bill will be disconnected first, worrying about rent, car payments, and even at times food. Thank you to all of our friends and family who makes sure we have a table to sit at.

I know it's the holidays and everyone has their own agendas and plans. I am asking in the spirit of the holiday please keep us in your thoughts and prayers. Whether it is a dollar bill or a positive thought, we appreciate you!

Happy Holidays,

Cristin & Brandon

P.S. you can also find us on various payment apps, search for Cristin Tomecko. Thank you again for your thoughts and prayers.

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