Jennifer’s Son Has Cancer

May 15, 2007 - PRLog -- Lexington, Kentucky….A woman in Lexington is in dire straights and needs some help from the community. Jennifer Baxter’s son Brandon Wreath has Ewing's Sarcoma Cancer Stage 4 he is 16 years old.
   On Easter 2007 Jennifer and Brandon went to the ER . They wouldn't give them any answers but drew a picture of what they could see in his lungs. They told Jennifer they were sending her home and to call a doctor they gave her tomorrow and then sent Brandon by ambulance to Lexington.  They spent from midnight Monday morning to Tuesday at 4:30 PM in Lexington and then they transferred Brandon to Nashville TN for a biopsy.  Jennifer and Brandon were there from 11:30 PM on Tuesday to 7:00 PM on Thursday. They did the biopsy on Thursday and when Brandon had just woke up they said our ride was on it's way to take us home, meaning to UK Children’s Hospital in Lexington KY.
   From there, Jennifer and Brandon got back to Lexington at midnight, where Brandon got more tests, on the following Monday we got all final test results. Ewing's Sarcoma Cancer Stage 4. The doctors put a port in Brandon’s chest on Tuesday, started Chemo on Wednesday and Jennifer and Brandon stayed until Friday. That was from April 9th to the 20th this year.  Then Jennifer and Brandon were told he may get to come home on Mother's day.
   The doctors say there is only a 2% chance Brandon can beat this. The cancer has covered his lungs. In addition to his lungs the doctors say Brandon will have to have his leg amputated below the knee and it still won’t change his chances by much. At the most the doctors say he will have a 20% chance and all of that is with 9 months of Chemo, radiation and leg amputation.
   Jennifer, Brandon’s mother lost her job got fired from her job just recently, her employer said it was because she didn’t need to work and had to have time to care for her son. Which is correct, but without her job they can’t survive.
   Jennifer worked for a small company and nothing falls under the FMLA because there are less then 50 employees. When Jennifer went to her former employer with a form for food stamps to show she wasn’t working her former employer refused to put fired on the form. They checked OTHER and put MUTUAL CONSENT and reason was TERMINALLY ILL CHILD. Now she doesn’t even have food stamps for food. Her employer said, "Well we didn't fire you we just asked you to take a leave to care for your son. We aren't replacing you with a full-time person, just a student for summer and IF your son is alright then you can come back to work in August." Needless to say with the answer they gave, it is holding up Jennifer’s unemployment and disability has 3 months to give us an answer. She is running out of avenues... but trying to keep her head above water.
   In addition to all of this Jennifer has had to go to court to fight her heartless ex-husband to keep custody of her daughter Micah Baxter. Jennifer and her ex-husband are in the final stages of a divorce. He fears Jennifer may flea the state with Micah due to her troubles. Jennifer has no family in Kentucky. Life could be easier if she could go to Missouri to be with family.

Quotes from Jennifer: I am walking this path alone with the devil at my heels.
   It is all TOO much too fast. All I can think about is... Never watching my son walk down the isle for his diploma, never watching him wait at the alter for his beautiful bride and never seeing the look upon his face while holding his firstborn. It kills me. He is my oldest but yet still my biggest baby. I sit and write this as I watch him lying there bald from chemo. Sick to his stomach. And he is still able to flash me that perfect smile. All while I ache inside. I can't cry. I try to only cry while he sleeps. I told him one night.. Sometimes it may get really dark and he finished with "but Mom you always have a flashlight!." I begged him to never leave me. He promised, then they gave us the odds and I had to tell him. IF there is ever a day you are too tired. It is ok... But please don't make it soon.
Please help this family; they could use an attorney, financial support, a job offer and any suggestions for medical care for Brandon. This is more than any small family should have to endure.
For additional information, please contact Jennifer Baxter 859-623-5134.