“When I was three months old, the doctors told my parents I would need a new heart.”
It hasn’t been the easiest journey for Churchill High School senior Brady Burch.
Before his first birthday, he spent months waiting for a new heart.
Then, before he could finish fifth grade, he got more devastating news: he had developed PTLD.
It’s a type of lymphoma linked to organ transplants.
“One of the hardest things in my life was finding out I had cancer and had to be home-schooled. I am a very social person and love hanging out with friends. When I was told I had to leave Hidden Forest and be home-schooled, I felt like my life was coming to an end.”
But his life wasn’t over. A little creativity and a very nurturing teacher kept him connected and social. As Brady explained, when he chose to honor her during Churchill’s recent Winston Awards, Suzzane Duron (Walker, at the time) provided him a lifeline when he needed it.
“When I was in 5th grade, my life changed drastically when I found out that I had cancer caused by the medicine I had to take for my heart due to having a transplant. I had to be taken out of school and was only allowed to be online, but Ms. Walker still made me feel like I was a part of the class. She put a robot in our classroom with a screen so I could still see my friends and learn what she was teaching on a day-to-day basis. Ms. Walker also would come to
my house once a week to tutor me and give me all my work I would need for the week. I want to thank Ms. Walker for making me feel a part of the class and still making me feel like my 5th-grade year was normal.”
Normal.
Being normal is important, especially to a fifth-grader.
But Brady’s life was anything but normal.
Following his cancer diagnosis, Brady was in and out of class at Bradley Middle School.
So, his schedule wasn’t normal.
His heart transplant meant he couldn’t play a “normal” contact sport like football.
But Brady thrived in the not-normal.
He didn’t focus on the negative. He focused on what he could do.
That non-normal schedule gave him time to focus on a new passion: golf.
“Yes, I have a heart transplant, so I can’t be the quarterback for Churchill. But I can play golf and still be in a sports environment. My parents do a great job of helping me look at the positives. If you focus on the negative, it just makes it worse. So, I focused on golf, and I loved it. I’ve met my best friends through golf.”
His love for life and golf recently afforded him a chance to volunteer at the Valero Texas Open, letting him stand just feet away from some of his favorite professional golfers. He also met some members of the PGA Tour.
Hanging out just feet from pro golfers isn’t normal.
So, maybe being normal isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
“I feel like everything I went through is starting to pay off. I am excited to graduate and go to college. Never give up. There were so many times I could have given up and times I wasn’t happy, but I knew if I stuck to something and made it work, it would work out in the long run. I am about to graduate in a month, and I have made it so far. Stay positive in whatever situation you are in. It can pay off.”
Brady plans to attend Shriner University after graduation from Churchill.
We wish him and the rest of the class of 2024 the best of luck in their futures.
