The Braden Stevenson Story
Braden Stevenson is a sophomore at Longmont High School. Last winter, at a routine exam, Braden fell and broke his leg. While repairing his femur, his surgeon noticed that the bone did not look right. He was diagnosed late in 2016 with osteosarcoma, a malignant bone cancer.
To endure the events that occurred that day, as well as all that have followed, takes a special kind of strength, the strength of a fighter and of a true Happy Smackah. We are proud to announce this young man, Braden Stevenson, as our 2017 Happy Smackah.
On March 1st, Braden will be undergoing the treatment he chose. He was offered three ways to fight this cancer, and he chose rotationplasty, which will essentially be an amputation of his leg above and below the knee. His ankle will become his knee. He’ll have a few months to heal, and then he’ll be fitted with a prosthetic.
Braden is undaunted by this, and is even looking forward to the surgery, so that it’s “done.” He has already been through chemo, and he faces many more rounds after his surgery. He jokes about making some Ninja moves with his newly rotated leg. Braden is a true happy smackah, with all that entails. His courage shines through in everything he says, in his entire outlook. His sunny disposition wavered only a little, when we talked to him. He shared, openly, freely, and with amazing wisdom, his thought process throughout his diagnosis and prognosis. Braden shared that one of his first thoughts was that he should have done more with his legs, while he could.
This courageous young man has moved on from that though, and he’s thinking about his future, and he’s thinking about what he will still be able to do.
When we asked him how he felt about being the Happy Smackah, he said, without pause, “honored.”
We are honored to know him, humbled by his attitude, and pleased to welcome Braden Stevenson into our Happy Smackah Family.
We are proud to support Braden Stevenson as the 2017 Happy Smackah. We thank you for your help and support in any way that you are capable – by participating in our Happy Smackah 5k Fun Run on May 13th, through a General donation, or by Volunteering.
We are also seeking Sponsors! If you are interested in sponsoring the event, please visit our Sponsors Page or contact us by email. Register for the 5k Fun Run Today!
