Brinley Mae & Keith

Dear Family and Friends,

We’re writing today with an update on both Brinley and Keith. This journey continues to unfold with challenges and progress alike, and as always, we feel the strength of your support surrounding us. Your kindness and love lift us more than you know.

Brinley’s Progress

Brinley is now approaching her 9-month milestone, and it’s been an incredible thing to witness her spirit unfold. She receives weekly in-home therapies—physical therapy, occupational therapy, developmental therapy, and speech therapy—all tailored to help her grow and strengthen in the ways her body and brain are ready for.

We’ve seen wonderful progress lately. Her cross-of-center movements are improving, and while we’re still working on head control, she’s becoming more coordinated every week. Recently, we introduced some solid foods—and we’re happy to report that Brinley loves avocados, carrots, sweet potatoes, and frozen strawberries. Mealtimes have become such a joyful part of our routine.

We’ve also started incorporating more American Sign Language (ASL) into our daily lives. Because communication may look different for Brinley, we want to give her every tool we can to help her connect with the world. Her smile and personality are radiant—she loves interacting with people and seems to light up every room.

Every small gain feels huge. And while we still have many unknowns ahead, we are continuously heartened by Brinley’s joyful presence and quiet determination.

Keith’s Health Update

Over the past two months, we’ve been navigating a new chapter in Keith’s health. In late April, Keith noticed a small lump on his left testicle during a routine shower. After monitoring it for a few days, he went in for an exam. His doctor quickly confirmed it was significant, and a series of follow-up tests—including an ultrasound, CT scans, and a chest X-ray—revealed a tumor on his left testicle. On May 22nd, Keith had surgery (an orchiectomy) to remove the affected testicle.

Post-surgery imaging revealed two small nodules in his right lung that are suspicious for metastatic spread. While this was difficult news, we’ve found reassurance in the fact that the nodules are small, there’s no fluid or swollen lymph nodes in the chest, and his abdomen and pelvic scans were clear. There are no tumors in his organs, and only a few small lymph nodes under 1 cm.

Bloodwork has provided additional insight. One tumor marker (AFP) has increased slightly, but others (β-HCG and LDH) have come down, which is encouraging. 

All that said, Keith will begin chemotherapy on June 23rd. The treatment plan includes (4) 21 day cycles of EP chemotherapy (Etoposide and Cisplatin), which is a very effective regimen with a high cure rate—even when cancer has spread. For the first week of each cycle, Keith will have daily infusions for 5 days. The remaining 16 days of the cycle will be spent managing symptoms and getting rest. Testicular cancer, especially in younger adults, has one of the most successful treatment outcomes of any cancer, and we are moving forward with hope and clarity.

Keith is feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically prepared. He has decided to take the full 12 weeks off of work to focus on his treatment. He has a dedicated oncology team, and every step of his care so far has been carefully considered and timely. We’re grateful for the early detection and confident in the road ahead.

Gratitude

To our loved ones—you continue to be the foundation that holds us up. We’re still learning how to navigate uncertainty with steadiness, and we’re finding new ways every day to be present, patient, and full of love—for each other and for our girl.

If we’ve learned anything through this season, it’s this: joy and challenge can exist side by side. And with your help, we are continuing to choose love, gratitude, and hope—one day at a time.

With all our love,

❤️ Keith, Lauren, and Brinley