Team Brooki the Warrior Princess

In March of 2018, Brooke was like most teenagers, focused on having fun with her friends, going to school & most of all enjoying life. April rolled around and along with it a sensation of numbness in her pinky & ring finger of her right arm up to her elbow. Since the numbness persisted for a few days we took her to an orthopedist; of which they said it was likely a pinched nerve and prescribed a few visits of Physical Therapy.

After 5 visits, Brooke began feeling the same sensation in the left arm with the numbness quickly spreading all over her hand. She was now also feeling pain in the base of her neck and through both shoulders. All of sudden she began to feel a numbness in a portion of her left leg with sporadic weakness. We had an emergency visit with a neurologist; whom which misdiagnosed it.

At this point the pain was unbearable and off we went to the Emergency Room on May 6th. Brooke was quickly admitted to Cohen's Children Hospital where she faced a battery of imaging, lumbar puncture (spinal Tap) & spinal biopsy; after which on May 14th she was diagnosed with a malignant cancer - several days later we received the news of rare form of sarcoma. Armed with all this information two institutions are actively investigating what specific type of sarcoma her body is fighting, however, in the meantime since this is an aggressive form, Brooke (our Warrior Princess), has begun a treatment to hopefully minimize future growth.

Our World was turned upside down in just a matter of a few weeks. In April she was running and playing in the park and a few weeks later she is unable to walk. The precursor to all this started with the numbness that had we, or the several doctors she met, had known we would have taken a different course of action. Our goal here is to raise awareness for Spinal Cancer and also help offset some of the costs our family is incurring since we need to take time off to care for Brooke.

The Pearson family is extremely grateful for the outpouring of support from our family, friends and community. While there is still a long road ahead, as many that have had cancer touch their lives know all too well, there is comfort in knowing that Brooke is not facing this alone. #TEAMBROOKI has her back. We Got This!

God Bless and please keep all those facing cancer in your prayers.