St Jude patient Braylan
Braylan's story
Braylan has more than 25 superhero action figures, including many he collected during treatment at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He brought one to every medical procedure — they made him feel stronger. Braver.
Braylan always is on the move — swimming, biking and playing basketball. If he falls, he gets right back up. So, it was out of character when he complained of back pain in December 2024.
Braylan was diagnosed with a malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor, or MPNST, a rare and aggressive soft tissue sarcoma uncommon in kids. He was referred to St. Jude for treatment.
St Jude patient Braylan celebrates his kindergarten graduation at St. Jude.
St. Jude patient Bralyan with his parents
Families never receive a bill from St. Jude for treatment, travel, housing or food — so they can focus on helping their child live.
We couldn’t have asked for it to be at a better place than St. Jude. They gave me all the hope in a world that I could ever have.
St. Jude patient Braylan's mother
Braylan’s tumor was so large it engulfed much of the right side of his chest, impacting three of his ribs and leaving little room for his right lung to expand. Treatment included chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery to remove the tumor, leaving an S-shaped scar on Braylan’s side. “S for Superman!” Braylan said.
If Braylan could choose his own superpowers, he would want to fly — and even better — to save people. He wants to work at St. Jude one day, so he just might do that.
St Jude patient Braylan
Help give more kids a chance to grow up
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