20 Years Later...

April 14, 2005 is a date I will never forget. I went to the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center for a doctor appointment and walked out a few hours later looking at my parents saying, “I have cancer…hmm… am I going to lose my hair?” That single moment would dictate the rest of my life. Those who say a single moment can’t change a life, I would say different.

One of my heroes Jim Valvano said in his famous 1993 ESPY speech, “I remember where I came from. It's so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be?”

Where am I now? I am a husband, son, brother, friend, and (I hope) community member bringing about positivity and smiles. I am also a smiler, speaker, and storyteller. I am a walking example of what science and research can do. I am also an example of why must develop less-toxic treatments for children who are diagnosed with cancer. My treatment-related side effects of liver fibrosis, hypersplenism (enlarged spleen), leukopenia (low white blood cell count), thrombocytopenia (low platelet count), esophageal varices, portal hypertension, survivor’s guilt, and potential infertility are part of me, but do not define me.

Where do I want to be? I want to be in a world that focuses on the water we drink, food we eat, and air we breathe. I want to be in a world where no parent should have to invest time into reading food labels with fear there may be a harmful additive or artificial dye. I want to be in a world that focuses on holistic health and well-being and moves away from the "quick fix" mentality. I want to be in a world where we equally focus on childhood cancer prevention and childhood cancer cure.

Today, April 14, 2025, I redefine what this date means to me. Finding meaning in this traumatic moment has taken many years of hard work to fully cope. Honestly… I am still coping every day and working to find meaning in my journey.

Where did I come from? I came from “LUCAS Power.” Lucas Power is being the best community member you can be, by giving back through time, talent, and treasure. Lucas Power is thinking outside-the-box to solve problems and always being yourself. Lucas Power is also showcasing humility by recognizing areas where I fall short and being willing to ask for help by cultivating a team. I come from the values of faith, family, and education guiding my decisions. These values lead me to my God-given purpose of where I am now.

No one factor will likely cause a child to develop cancer, as I fully recognize cancer is a complex disease with many factors influencing the development. In addition, no parent is at fault for their child being diagnosed with cancer. We as a society must do better to foster environments that are healthy and safe for all children to live in. Cancer rates are increasing in children, adolescents, and young adults. I recognize diagnostic tools are better (which is amazing for early-detection and prevention), but we should not dismiss we have a problem on our hands.

I get asked all the time, “Brady, how do we prevent childhood cancer? Children don’t smoke and drink alcohol, have compounding effects of unhealthy nutrition, have DNA damage from aging, and spend years exposed to toxic chemicals.” Yes, I 100% agree with those statements, but children are products of genetic and hereditary influences, shared environments, pre-natal health, the food we eat, the water we drink, and the air we breathe.

To answer the question I asked on April 14, 2005... yes Brady you will lose your hair and your life will be a roller coaster. God will test you and use your testimony to work through you to create a better tomorrow for children today.

Smiles make the world go round,

Brady

I am a health advocate and invest in my health every day by doing the following:

●Fasting for 14-16 hours, to allow my body to heal and recover. Fasting allows me to keep blood sugar balanced, properly digest daily, and gain energy to name a few.

●I eat a diet consisting of high quality fat and rich animal-based protein, while tracking my nutrition intake. I recognized complex carbohydrates and gluten reduced my energy and bloated me constantly, so I switched to eating a gram of protein per pound and balancing out with a high-quality fat such as avocado, olive oil, butter, and ghee.

●Reducing sugar. Something we should all strive to do is reduce sugar.

●Exercising 5-6 days a week. When I first developed avascular necrosis (temporary or permanent loss of blood supply to bone) and bones in both my ankles completely collapsed, I found it important to exercise and properly stretch.

●Monthly massages to maintain mobility and energy flow.

●Daily prayer. Opportunities to reflect and rejuvenate my soul.

●Finally, uninterrupted sleep. I say uninterrupted sleep because interrupted sleep is easy in today’s connected world. As soon as 9pm hits for me, I put my phone in airplane mode and screens are away.