This bubbly Steelers fan....

is Brenda Emer!

Brenda has fought a 16-year battle with cancer. Here is her story:

Brenda was originally diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer in 1997 at the age of 28. At that time her children John and Allison were only 2 and 3 years old. (John was 3, Allison was 2). She had lost her father in law to melanoma about a month before she was diagnosed. Three months after her diagnosis with cancer her son John was life-flighted to Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh and was diagnosed with type 1 juvenile diabetes (as you can tell it was a rough year for her and her family).

She underwent 6 treatments of chemo and 7 weeks of radiation ending in March of 1998. In May of 1999 she learned she had relapsed and this time was much worse. She was then diagnosed with stage 4 metastatic breast cancer. She was then treated aggressively and underwent a stem cell transplant in hopes of getting it in remission. In August of 2003 she discovered she had cancer again. This time she had a mastectomy, and when she was going through chemo she began complaining of headaches, after an MRI they learned she had a brain tumor; this time they did gamma knife radiation to the tumor in her brain. In May of 2007 she learned she had cancer again, this time it metastasized to the right lung, they said that it stemmed from the right breast. She has surgery and discussed options of getting it into remission, this time they did chemo pills for 9 months. May of 2008 she learned the cancer had spread from her breast into both of her lungs.

In January 2008 she lost her mom JoAnn Dyne to colon and breast cancer.

December 23, 2008 she was diagnosed with cancer again, this time it affected the liver and the tissue around it. (again metastasized from her breast)
January of 2009 she went to the Fox Chase Research Center in Philadelphia. They told her that because she still had traces of cancer in her body they were unable to enroll her in a clinical trial.

She went to Hahne Cancer Center in Dubois PA and began a new type of chemo called Navobine which seemed to work well for awhile. She was going 3 weeks on and 1 week off. She had scans done in April that showed she had something on her hip. They thought it was possibly bone cancer, but because of all of the chemo she had it wore out the bone. She suffered from minimal damage to her hip area and will eventually need a hip replacement.

January 2010 she learned the cancer was back this time it affected her back. She started new chemo in May of 2010 By July she was diagnosed again with it in her back. Both times she received radiation. The chemo gave her neuropathy in her feet, which leaves them cold and tingly.

She started a new chemo in 2012 , this time they located cancer in the liver, lungs, and neck. This point marked 15 years of battling cancer.

In January of 2013 she was diagnosed with a tumor on the brain and liver, again due to the breast. She went through radiation and is now waiting on scans to prove she is free of cancer so she can hopefully begin her clinical trial in Pittsburgh on April 22nd.

It is also important to note that Brenda works three jobs; she drives school bus, works in the cafeteria at Kane Elementary/Middle school in Kane, PA. and is a cleaning lady. She possesses a positive attitude, no matter when you see her she is always smiling and so full of life. Her motto is "Always think positive." She also believes in getting 5 hugs a day; she says that getting hugged is good for the soul and reminds you that you are loved. Her son John is now a senior in high school and Allison is a junior. Brenda anxiously awaits getting to witness them graduate from school, go to college, get married, and have children. She is determined to not miss out on anything in their lives. She loves her children more than words could ever express, she most definitely fights for them!

Brenda's dream is to go on the Ellen show and tell her story! You can read more:

https://www.facebook.com/getbrendaonellen

Rate this file (Current rating : 4.3 / 5 with 28 votes)

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File information
Filename:	TeamBrenda.jpg
Album name:	erin / Fan Photos/Fan Stories
Rating (28 votes):
Filesize:	102 KiB
Date added:	Apr 06, 2013
Dimensions:	430 x 398 pixels
Displayed:	668 times
URL:	http://www.bigben7.com/photos/displayimage.php?pid=8288
Favorites:	Add to Favorites

Big Ben 7

www.bigben7.com The Official Fan Site

This bubbly Steelers fan....