Mickey Starling
reporter3@greenepublishing.com
Pinetta native Brandie Kay Littleton was forced to recently quit her job due to her long-term battle with colon cancer that began in 2016. With mounting medical bills and the inability to work, her need for financial support is greater than ever. What started as a simple stomach bug turned into a nightmare for Brandie and her family. A large tumor was discovered in her colon that spanned the entire width of her colon and extending beyond it. After receiving chemotherapy treatments for six months and numerous surgeries, Littleton was declared “cured” by an oncologist in Wisconsin.
Within six months of that good news, cancer returned in the form of a basketball-sized tumor in her ovary. She was then diagnosed with stage four terminal cancer. Just a few months later, Littleton had a radical hysterectomy and had other non-vital organs removed. Again, the family received good news after a PET scan showed no further evidence of disease. Happily, Littleton and her family returned to Florida to be closer to family and friends.
After arriving home, she continued receiving medical care from Shands Hospital, in Gainesville. A sigmoidoscopy in 2018 revealed cancer had returned to her lower small intestine and she was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer, with metastatic peritoneal cancer, which is incurable. In April of 2019, Dr. Bagaria, with the Mayo Clinic, operated to decrease the number of tumors in Littleton's body, but, miraculously, no tumors were found. She was able to enjoy several months before the cancer returned.
The next step in the journey involved clinical trials that took place near the end of 2020, with no success. The cancer then spread to her liver and lungs. She is currently receiving chemo treatments, but they are not working as well as they have in the past. Also, the side effects she has experienced have been brutal on her body. She is now dedicating her time to being with her three lovely children as much as possible.
She is extremely grateful for the support of her sisters, Wendi Blanton and Lindsay Roberts, who have both worked to take care of her and the kids and to provide transportation for medical appointments. “They have made a world of difference,” said Littleton. She also appreciates the prayers and support of the community that have continued since her ordeal began.
She is also passionate about getting the word out on colon cancer screening, which is now recommended at age 45. Littleton has a gene mutation that causes potentially dangerous polyps to be produced in large numbers, assuring a cancer diagnosis if not detected early. “If I had screening much earlier, I might not be where I am today,” said Littleton.
She has a GoFundMe page set up, which can be found by searching “Brandie Kay.” It has a goal of reaching the $20,000 mark. Though this won't cover all of her expenses, it will be helpful. “With three kids, anything helps,” laughed Littleton.