Ewing’s Sarcoma Took a Toll, but Brylie Is Back to Her Sparkly Self

Chemotherapy, surgery and radiation made for a long, challenging cancer journey for Brylie, but she handled every challenge courageously, making her an inspiration to her family and care providers.

When Brylie’s mother, Sherri, found a small lump on her daughter’s chest, she panicked and feared the worst. Sherri and her husband, Greg, immediately took Brylie to her pediatrician, who assured them that it was likely just some extra tissue and nothing to worry about.

Over the next few months, they returned to the doctor several times believing the lump had grown. However, an ultrasound showed nothing unusual. And a second opinion provided no concrete answers. So Brylie and her parents went to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and met with Julie Glasson, MD, a Pediatric Surgeon.

A parent’s fears confirmed

Dr. Glasson ordered an MRI, which quickly confirmed their fears: There was a tumor in Brylie’s chest that was too large to remove, and it was most likely cancer. “Your world stops,” says Sherri. “There are no words to describe that moment.”

From then on, the Lundys faced a whirlwind of appointments and tests to determine the exact type of cancer Brylie had. After a biopsy, CT scan, bone marrow extraction and more, oncologist Bradley George, MD, and his team at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center of Children’s identified Brylie’s cancer as a pediatric bone cancer called Ewing’s sarcoma. They then laid out an aggressive treatment plan and started Brylie on 12 weeks of induction chemotherapy.

During surgery to remove what remained of the tumor, microscopic traces of the cancer were found behind Brylie’s ribs, which meant Brylie would also have to undergo radiation. Brylie’s doctors determined she was a strong candidate for proton therapy—a treatment that targets tumors with a precise dose of radiation and reduces damage to surrounding healthy areas. It wasn’t available in Georgia at the time, and so Brylie began a six-week course of treatment at the University of Florida Health Proton Therapy Institute in Jacksonville, Fla.

Bright days ahead

The treatment was a success. At her year-and-a-half scans at the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center, Brylie was cancer-free. Today, she’s back to her curly-haired, bubbly, bright self.

“Her spirits are up, and she’s just as sparkly as she’s ever been,” Greg says. “We’re just constantly amazed at how she’s doing, and we gather a lot of our strength from her. We continue to look to her for inspiration.”