Update – March 2026

In early March, our daughter Braelyn underwent a complex 6.5+ hour brain tumor surgery at UCLA with world-renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Linda Liau.

Just days before surgery, we learned how urgent her situation had become. What initially appeared to be an 11 mm midline shift had rapidly progressed to 19 mm in less than two weeks, placing dangerous pressure on her brain.

We were in a race against time.

By God’s grace, Dr. Liau was able to remove approximately 90% of the tumor, relieving that pressure and stabilizing her condition. During surgery, a significant amount of tumor tissue was also preserved, giving Braelyn the opportunity to pursue personalized immunotherapy, including a dendritic cell vaccine created from her own tumor and immune cells.

This surgery saved her life.

But Braelyn’s fight is far from over.

We are now focused on her recovery while urgently pursuing the next phase of treatment — options that could give our daughter hope and a future.

If you feel moved to support Braelyn as she continues this fight, we are deeply grateful. And above all, we ask for your continued prayers.

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A New Chapter of Hope

Braelyn’s surgery was extremely complex due to scar tissue and adhesions from previous brain surgeries. The tumor had also developed additional blood supply, making the procedure even more delicate.

Despite these challenges, Dr. Liau was able to successfully remove the majority of the tumor while preserving critical areas of the brain responsible for speech and function.

When the tumor was removed, the pressure in Braelyn’s brain was relieved, allowing her brain to settle back into place — something that gives us hope that her neurological symptoms may continue to improve with time and rehabilitation.

One of the biggest blessings from this surgery is that tumor tissue was successfully collected and properly preserved.

This gives Braelyn the opportunity to pursue a personalized dendritic cell vaccine — an emerging immunotherapy created from her own tumor and immune cells. The ability to generate multiple doses significantly increases the potential effectiveness of this treatment.

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What Comes Next

Braelyn’s journey is far from over.

This type of tumor is known to return quickly and aggressively, so our immediate focus is on slowing tumor growth while we work toward longer-term treatment options.

At this time, we are pursuing:

• Compassionate use of a dendritic cell vaccine (DCVax-L) in the UK

• Possible clinical trial options if they become available

• Bridging treatment (including likely proton radiation) to help slow tumor growth

Radiation is a decision we never took lightly. While we still have concerns, we are now considering proton radiation as a more targeted option to help buy time until Braelyn can receive immunotherapy.

The process of accessing the vaccine can take several months, and we are doing everything we can to move as quickly as possible.

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Recovery & Rehabilitation

Braelyn is currently home in South Carolina and working incredibly hard in her recovery.

Before surgery, she had already begun losing function, including speech difficulties, a flaccid right arm, and significant weakness and coordination issues in her right leg.

As expected, these symptoms initially worsened after surgery.

But with intensive therapy, we are beginning to see encouraging signs of progress.

She is continuing with home-based therapy and is scheduled to begin outpatient physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy on April 1st.

Her strength, mobility, and speech are slowly improving, and she continues to fight with determination and resilience every single day.

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How You Can Help

Many people have asked how they can support Braelyn as she continues this fight.

If you feel led to contribute financially, we are deeply grateful for any support toward:

• Ongoing medical care

• Travel and lodging for treatment

• Immunotherapy (which may not be covered by insurance)

• Rehabilitation and recovery needs

Just as important to us are your prayers, encouragement, and sharing Braelyn’s story.

Your support — in every form — truly makes a difference.

Estimated Treatment Costs (UK Dendritic Cell Vaccine)

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The dendritic cell vaccine (DCVax-L) is a highly specialized, personalized immunotherapy created from Braelyn’s own tumor tissue and immune cells. Each vaccine is custom-manufactured in a certified laboratory, making this a complex and labor-intensive process.

Below is a general overview of expected costs:

Vaccine Manufacturing (UK – Advent Bioservices)

Induction Phase (initial manufacturing + first 3 doses):

• £75,000 (~$95,000 USD)

This upfront cost includes:

 • Manufacturing of the full vaccine series

 • The first 3 doses (given over ~3 weeks)

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Booster Phase (additional doses in Year 1):

• £20,000 per dose (~$25,000 USD each)

• Typically 3 doses in the first year

Estimated total:

• £60,000 (~$75,000 USD)

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Maintenance Phase (ongoing doses after Year 1):

• £20,000 per dose (~$25,000 USD each)

• Given periodically over multiple years

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Additional Medical Costs

Leukapheresis (immune cell collection):

• £10,000–£11,000 (~$12,500–$14,000 USD)

Clinic / physician fees:

 • Vary depending on provider and treatment schedule

 • Billed separately

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Shipping & Handling

 • International transport of tumor tissue, blood products, and vaccine doses

 • Specialized medical courier services required

 • Costs vary and are billed separately

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Travel & Living Expenses

Because treatment will take place in the UK, additional costs include:

 • International flights (multiple trips)

 • Lodging for extended stays

 • Ground transportation

 • Meals and daily living expenses

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Important Notes

 • These treatments are not covered by insurance

 • Costs are paid out-of-pocket

 • The number of vaccine doses available may vary depending on manufacturing success and tumor tissue availability

 • Having more doses available may improve treatment effectiveness

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Summary

The total cost of this treatment pathway is expected to be well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars over time, not including travel and additional medical expenses.

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Our Gratitude

Throughout this journey, we have experienced incredible love from friends, family, neighbors, doctors, nurses, and even complete strangers who have been touched by Braelyn’s story.

Your kindness reminds us that we are not walking this road alone.

Thank you for standing with Braelyn.

We are doing everything we can to give Braelyn the best possible chance. Thank you for standing with us in this fight.

With gratitude and hope,

The Hollensbe Family

For daily updates on Braelyn’s progress, you can follow along on X (Twitter) @HollensbeAmanda