For the past four years, Carden Academy has participated in Morgan Hill’s Relay for Life as a way to honor the courage and triumph of their principal, Geralyn Vasquez, who is a breast cancer survivor. This year, the student team is walking to honor another member of the Carden Academy family, Brandon Pride, who at five years of age, is already a cancer survivor. He is a member of the junior kindergarten class.
Brandon was born in 2000 and at the age of seventeen months, his parents noticed a lump which was diagnosed as bilateral Wilms Tumor. This form of cancer usually affects one kidney. In Brandon’s case, both kidneys were diseased.
He has already been through three surgeries at Lucille Packard Stanford Hospital: The first to biopsy both kidneys, the second to remove a kidney and the third to perform an innovative procedure where Brandon’s kidney was removed, the cancerous tissue cut out, the kidney irradiated and then re-implanted into his body. This final surgery involved the expertise of a twelve person medical team including surgeons, pathologists, anesthesiologist, and radiologists.
According to his physician, Dr. Salvatierra, “To me, it is a privilege to be at Stanford where we can bring the best expertise of several fields together, where a child like Brandon has the opportunity of living a normal life.”
It is a privilege for the Carden Team to celebrate Brandon’s good health and victory. Today, you can find Brandon enjoying his school days. He loves recess (What five year old doesn’t?) reading, and sharing. He also likes to journey to the snow or to the beach with his mom, dad, and little brother, Aaron.
The Carden Relay for Life team has adopted the name, “Brandon’s Pride” and will be participating in the twenty-four hour event to be held on May 20th and 21st at Oakwood Country School. We will walk with the strength of a “pride” of lions to honor our young hero. Of course, we would ask that you join in our fight against cancer by contributing to this event. Information is available at www.acsevents.org/relay/ca/morganhill . You may make general tax-deductible donations to the American Cancer Society at this website or donate to the Carden Academy team, “Brandon’s Pride.”
Please join us at the 2006 Morgan Hill Relay for Life. So many of us have been touched by cancer. So often, we say, “If there was only something I could do.” You can support the American Cancer Society, honor cancer survivors, and remember those who have lost their battle by taking part in the 2006 Morgan Hill Relay for Life.
