THE CURE STARTS NOW

Brayleigh was diagnosed on 10/16/2021 with Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) a tumor on her brain stem.. Brayleigh spent a wonderful week on vacation in Florida when she began showing symptoms of left sided weakness in her hands and toes. She began to walk on her tiptoes, and she progressively developed an unsteady gait. She also had a slight facial droop and weakened swallowing muscles. DIPG is a brain tumor that is highly aggressive and difficult to treat. It occurs in an area of the brainstem (the lowest, stem-like part of the brain) called the pons, which controls many of the body’s most vital functions such as breathing, blood pressure, and heart rate, and every day activities such as walking and swallowing. It also affects the nerves and muscles that help us see, hear, and talk. Symptoms usually develop rapidly in the majority of patients because of the fast growth of these tumors. Unfortunately this type of tumor is inoperable and does not respond to chemotherapy due to its location in such a sensitive part of the brain. Brayleigh has a tremendous support system we affectionately call it Brayleighville. She was a true warrior with a fighting spirit. Brayleigh Louise earned her wings on 06/10/22 and it is our mission to help find a cure so her fighting spirit can help others affected by this. DIPG is very rare and only affects 250-300 children in the United States per year. Thank you for your support to the Cure Starts Now and Brayleighville.