(From left to right: Me, John, Brettley, Andy, Brandon, Tim)
I first met Brandon in 2002 when he was a spindly 15 year-old camper at Camp Kemo. At the time he was receiving treatment for a brain tumor. He was a quiet kid, but he was very athletic and good at basketball. One of my favorite memories of Brandon was when the University of South Carolina basketball team came out to Camp Kemo one afternoon, and they went up to the basketball court at the camp to play around with the kids. Brandon, never one to shy away from competition, challenged one of the USC players to a little one-on-one. When Brandon got the ball, he gave a nasty cross-over dribble, pulled up for a fade away jumper over the outstretched arm of the defender and nailed the shot. The crowd gathered around went crazy and Brandon was an instant hero.
Today, Brandon is not doing so well. His brain tumors have relapsed for the second time, and at this point treatment and surgery cannot help him. He is still in good spirits, but the tumors have begun to affect his speech, sight, and balance. His prognosis is not good, and barring a miracle, we don’t know how much longer he will be with us.
A few weeks back, a couple of my co-counselors with the teenage boys were talking, and wanted to do something special for Brandon. They had the idea to take him to an NBA game. Given Brandon’s condition, we all felt we needed to do something for him soon, before he couldn’t travel or be comfortable enough to enjoy the game. So they settled on going to a preseason game for the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday night, October 15. Luckily, I was in a position where I was able to take some time off and go with them.
So, the four Wolfpack (that’s the name of the teenage group at Camp Kemo) counselors piled into John’s Expedition with Brandon and Brettley, a friend of Brandon’s from Camp Kemo who is also a cancer survivor, and we headed up to Charlotte. Tim, who is probably the most connected person I know, knew someone with the Bobcats, so he was able to get the hookup for the boys to get the VIP treatment at the game.
When we arrived at the coliseum, we entered through the executive entrance and were greeted by two of the Bobcat dancers and a representative from the team. The team rep whisked the guys off and took them down court side to watch the players warm up. They also received autographed game jerseys from Emeka Okafor and Gerald Wallace and a bag of other team swag. Brandon and Brettley were also made honorary captains for the game, so they were able to go out to center court before the tip-off, and Brandon had the opportunity to say a few words to Vince Carter. He told him that he used to be able to dunk, but couldn’t anymore, and asked him to throw down a dunk for him in the game. In true storybook fashion, in the first minute of the game, Vince drove the lane and threw down a one-handed dunk.
(Brandon talking to Vince Carter before the game)
The guys said their favorite memory of the night was not even basketball related. Before the game, John was selected to be in a dance competition on the court at the end of the third quarter. He was miserably nervous about it the whole game, but when his time came, he shined. He busted out all the classics: the sprinkler, shopping cart, and even a breakdancing spin. It was grade ‘A’ entertainment, and I’m sure that video will end up on YouTube soon enough 
Brandon and Brettley had a really good time getting the royal treatment all night. You never know what kind of effect these types of experiences will have on people, but I know that the memories of that trip will be with all of us for a very long time. I just pray that it will give Brandon some hope and comfort to continue fighting and to enjoy his time here, no matter how much of it he has left. For me, I just consider myself fortunate to know people like Brandon and Brettley. As the cliche goes, they help me much more than I help them. You receive so much more than you give, and Monday night was a perfect example.
