Meet Brianna

“The doctors said I wouldn’t survive but I proved them wrong.”

When she was just four months old, healthy baby Brianna suddenly became very ill. After dozens of tests and confusion, doctors finally gave her parents a grim and very rare diagnosis: Omenn syndrome, a Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disorder.

Her parents were told there was nothing to be done - unless they could find a bone marrow match quickly.

“Luckily, my sister was a 99 percent match,” says Brianna.

Brianna also needed chemotherapy and would spend almost a year in the hospital. But she was discharged in time to celebrate her first birthday at home.

Although Brianna survived, undergoing such grueling treatment in infancy has left her with long-term late effects, and she suffered through bullying during her school-age years.

“But I learned that I can work through the difficult times and I just need to focus on myself. Setbacks are just more motivation to continue to strive for my goals.” Brianna dreams of someday opening her own business.

Brianna is a Children’s Cancer Cause 2021 Honorable Mention Scholar. Learn more about our College Scholars Program.