COOK- Each April is a special month for Brenna Simpson, of Cook, and it has been so her whole life for a couple of different reasons. 
 Not only was she born in April, it is also the month that she was first diagnosed with cancer in 2000. This year, on April 5, she is celebrating 25 years of being cancer free - her 25th “cancerversary.”  
When she was first diagnosed with leukemia in 2000, at the age of three, she didn’t understand what that even meant. However, her parents were afraid when they heard those three words, “She has cancer.” In the intervening years, however, she’s learned to focus on her future and celebrate survivorship. 
In the United States, about 3,500 children are diagnosed with leukemia each year. Leukemia is the most common childhood cancer, making up about a third of all pediatric cancers.  
Brenna was very fortunate that her brother, Bo, was a perfect bone marrow donor match at just six years old. He was 100 percent compatible, when the typical compatibility is usually 25 percent.  
And only one in approximately 250,000 donors are 100 percent compatible. A huge hurdle was jumped knowing she had a match right off the bat.  
 Prior to her transplant, she underwent chemotherapy and radiation to kill off her entire immune system to prepare her body for the new bone marrow. Once the immune levels came to zero, it was time for the bone marrow transplant.
The procedure and recovery led to a three-month stay in the Cities for her and her mom. Family, friends, and community support all played an essential role in the process. 
Her dad and Bo made the trip to the Cities from Cook every week and sometimes for more extended stays when Bo was done with school for the summer. He moved in with Brenna and his mom for a time to be able to be closer to them. 
On April 5, 2000, Brenna survived a bone marrow transplant. From then she has remained cancer-free for the past 25 years. 
The odds of her cancer returning are slim to none, but she does still live with muscular dystrophy, which was a result of the weakening of her immune system prior to the bone marrow transplant.  
Prior to her cancer diagnosis, she suffered a severe stroke in February of 2019, and spent about two weeks in the hospital. It is believed that her heart played a factor in causing the stroke. 
In hopes of concluding the heart issues, Brenna underwent a heart ablation.  
The ablation, a minimally invasive procedure, was meant to fix her heart rhythm issues by cauterizing problematic heart tissue. It’s often the preferred treatment for conditions like atrial fibrillation in which she was experiencing.
However, the ablation procedure was not a success, necessitating medication that ultimately put her into heart failure. 
In March of 2021, at the Minneapolis Heart Institute, she had a pacemaker implanted, and has been experiencing excellent heart rhythms since.  
I wrote an article about her battle with cancer about five years ago. Brenna recently contacted me to write a follow-up story as she now celebrates her 25th year of being cancer-free.
She maintains regular visits with doctors to manage side effects that may be related to cancer, chemotherapy, and radiation. They carefully monitor her labs and other tests to ensure her overall health.
She also takes multiple medications for commodities related to effects that are potentially related to her past chemo and radiation treatments. 
Brenna is currently employed as a loan clerk at North Star Credit Union in Cook, a job she really enjoys. 
 She loves spending time outdoors when the weather is pleasant, enjoying the company of family and friends, engaging in various activities such as side-by-side riding, bonfires, concerts, shopping, and many other activities.  
Taking a pontoon ride is another enjoyable summer activity. In the winter, she occasionally indulges in ice fishing. She’s up for any adventure that comes her  way!  
Despite her willingness to participate in as many activities as she can, she does continue to face various medical difficulties; the most challenging being severe dependent edema in her lower extremities due to wheelchair limitations.
When I asked what her usual yearly cancer-free celebration is, Brenna responded, “I don’t have a unique tradition, but I certainly make April 5th a special day every year, even more so than my birthday which is the 13th. However, this year is a BIG one – it’s 25 YEARS, and I couldn’t be more blessed.
“Despite these obstacles, I remain grateful for the journey I’ve been on and reaching this milestone, with hopes of continuing to defy the odds. 
“I continue to have a very close relationship with my life-saver brother Bo. Never would I have thought that 25 years later I would be where I am at today. ‘Stay Strong!’ is a phrase I tell myself every day. My first tattoo, on my left wrist, carries those words. Every time I see it, I’m reminded of my inner strength.
“It is a story of both happy and sad memories, but a beautiful outcome for my family that has been faced with unexpected circumstances.”