Heroes: Brent McClellan

This story is submitted by Brent’s mother, Beth McClellan. Please click here to read more as shared by Brooke McClellan, Brent’s sister.

A mother always knows when something is not quite right with her child.

I tried and tried telling my son’s doctor that something was wrong.

Brent always rubbed the left side of his head. He was very small, and had horrible speech, so therefore was unable to tell me that he was having bad headaches. Brent had a lot of ear infections that required him to have tubes in his ears, twice. The doctors would always tell me his ears must be bothering him. When I asked about his speech, they claimed, “his sisters are doing all the talking for him, so he doesn’t have to talk.”

I requested that Brent have speech therapy. He went several weeks, and the therapist basically “gave up.” Nothing she tried was working.

It wasn’t long after that that Brent was in a [snowmobile] accident, and the problem was found. Something I never guessed would ever happen to anyone in our family – a brain tumor.

The next thing I knew, Brent was having a craniotomy. Within two weeks after his surgery, his speech was perfect! The biopsy came back benign. THANK GOD!

Brent is twelve now and has grown to be a very considerate, caring and strong young man. He excels at all sports, his favorite being baseball. He has an amazingly strong pitch. There have been several innings where Brent struck everyone out. You can see his smile on the pitcher mound, and it just brings tears to my eyes, as the doctors said he would not be able to play sports – especially “contact sports.”

Brent has an MRI every year to make sure the area is stable. There has been a small amount of fluid, but the mass has not returned.

It is hard to restrict someone from what they love most…..in Brent’s case, baseball. Brent wants to be the next Tug McGraw. With his will and determination, I know it will happen.

Brent is my inspiration, my hero…..my son.

Sibling rivalry is set aside as Brooke McClellan, Brent's sister, shares her touching perspective on her brother below.

At nine years old, I didn’t understand exactly what it meant when I heard that my three-year-old brother, Brent, had a brain tumor. The doctors had found it by accident, when Brent got a concussion during a snowmobile accident with no helmet. I remember my parents called the accident a “blessing in disguise,” but it wasn’t until later when I realized what that meant.

The tumor is called an arachnoid cyst. It’s a fluid filled sac attached to his brain, and Brent’s had a mass around it. It caused him to have headaches, seizures, personality changes, and extreme fatigue, and it impaired his motor skills and coordination. His tumor was located on the language portion of his brain, which explained his speech problems.

The doctors said the snowmobile accident was lucky, because otherwise they probably wouldn’t have found the tumor until it was too late.

So at four years old, Brent underwent brain surgery at the Cleveland Clinic. The surgeons said that his tumor was so full of fluid that it all went squirting across the room as soon as they cut open his skull. It was a miracle he hadn’t died from a slight blow to the head. The surgeons drained the tumor successfully, but the actual tumor itself is too deep to ever be removed.

I’ve always known my little brother was tough, but it wasn’t until the day he returned from his surgery that I knew how strong he really was. He got out of the car and went straight to the garage. The next thing we knew, he was pedaling around on his favorite John Deere tricycle. It didn’t stop at the tricycle either. Ever since that day, he has been quite the Energizer bunny and all-around athlete.

Ever know someone who can pick up any kind of ball/sports equipment and be naturally great at it? Yeah, Brent’s one of those. He can play football, baseball, basketball, soccer, hockey, and run. His favorite sports are baseball, football, and basketball. He is truly an all-American athlete. Sports are his passion, and he does NOT let his tumor keep him from doing what he loves. He cannot play football anymore, as he is now twelve years old, and football is getting more aggressive. However, he is still quite the baseball player, throwing sixty-mile-per-hour pitches and hitting homeruns.

He is also quite a big help around the house. Our father does construction, and Brent hops on a backhoe and digs a pond like it’s nothing. He is a caring little boy, always concerned about everyone else and their well-being. He is also on the honor roll at school.

Brent now goes to the doctor for annual MRI’s to keep track of the tumor. He hates going, and if he is having any problems, he won’t tell us. My family and I keep a close watch on his behavior, but for the most part he does not have many problems.

My brother is a walking miracle, an inspiration, and the strongest child I know. He has never let anything, even a brain tumor, hold him back. Sure, he gets annoyed when the other kids ask what that big scar is on the side of his head, but he usually replies, “It’s my ‘tough-man’ scar.”

My little brother is my hero.