The Power of a Smile
Having the right support makes the difference between just surviving
and thriving
by Shauna Sheffer
A smile is one of the few
forms of nonverbal communication that can transcend culture boundaries.
A smile indicates life, happiness and hope. But is it possible to
keep smiling when tragedy strikes?
Brandon Fairchild was a happy-go-lucky 12-year-old, ready to lift
your spirit with a joke or one of his signature smiles. One afternoon,
he came home with flu-like symptoms and a massive headache. His mother,
Shelly Woltjer, took Brandon to a doctor three times before a CAT
scan revealed that he had a brain tumor. Brandon immediately went
through a seven-hour surgery to remove the tumor.
Due to the sensitive location of the tumor, the doctors could only
remove 80 percent of it. However, a still-smiling Brandon was cleared
to go back to school and even join swimming. Two months after being
home, Brandon collapsed at school with a brain aneurysm. Following
a surgery to repair the aneurysm, Brandon and his family returned
home just before Christmas.
The first thing he wanted
to do was see his best friend, but he only took a few steps into
his friend’s house before collapsing
again due to another aneurysm. “He was a trooper,” Shelly
said. “He never asked ‘Why me?’.”
After the third surgery,
Shelly contacted the Brain Injury Association of Minnesota’s Resource Facilitation program for support. “The
Resource Facilitator helped answer my questions, gave me advice on
finances, and helped connect my family to the services we needed,” said
Shelly.
“It’s easy
to feel like you are the only one with this situation.
I wanted to be a Mentor to show people they are not alone
. . .”
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Shelly has noticed some
changes with Brandon’s behavior since
the incidents, such as impulsiveness and inability to understand
his limitations.. “But he still has his great sense of humor!” laughed
Shelly.
Today, Shelly is participating
with local professionals to initiate a support group for others
in Kandiyohi County who are dealing with brain injury. “We greatly appreciate all the professionals
and individuals we have met along the way and acknowledge how valuable
those encounters have been,” says Shelly. Shelly is also a
Mentor as part of the Peer/Mentor Support Connection program at the
Brain Injury Association of Minnesota. “Coping with a brain
injury is hard for everyone,” said Shelly. “It’s
easy to feel like you are the only one with this situation. I wanted
to be a Mentor to show people they are not alone and provide hope
for the future.”
After all of the ups
and downs, Shelly, Brandon, and their family have a gained a lot. “You really learn how important family
and friends are when you go through something like this,” said
Brandon. Shelly agrees. “If you can keep your family strong,
you can get though it.” Out of all the hardship, pain and loss,
what is most interesting is what Brandon has managed to keep—his
smile. ![]()
