A note from Bria... Cooper's "Bestie"

Hi this is Bria (Cooper's Sister)!

So far, this experience has been the most traumatizing and hardest thing I have gone through. No sibling, parent, friend, and person should have to go through this! I wanted to share a little about what this whole process has been like.

Now I know you have read about the surgeries and procedures that Cooper has gone through, but being a witness through the background is hard to watch. I was in the room Cooper is staying in, and my parents stepped out and it was just me and Cooper. He just got out of surgery, but he was conscious and talking. As I was talking with him, he started throwing up due to all the Anastasia and I ran to the door to go get my parents. I then stood and watched as they cleaned it up and all I could do was stand to the side. It doesn’t seem like a big deal, and it wasn’t during the moment, but as the day went on all I could think about was how helpless I was. Later that day I decided I needed a break from the hospital and once I got home and was alone, I had a meltdown. I felt as though the hospital was taking away my brother, and I hated that feeling. It felt so suffocating.

You might be thinking, Bria why are telling me about your little trauma moment? I wanted to share this, so you all know truly what’s it’s like to watch someone you love so dang much, to go through this pain! After only three days of this awful experience one word, I would say that describes cancer, is unimaginable. I remember looking at my brother when he was asleep and thinking to myself, my brother should be at school with his friends, playing sports, sleeping in his own bed, and not here with stupid cancer! I have faith my brother will eventually be able to say, “I am a cancer survivor!” He is not cancer, but he is Cooper! Please keep praying and supporting Cooper! I love my brother(bestie) so much!