Brittiana Renee Henderson

On September 1, 1993, an angel named Brittiana Renee' Henderson was born with a mission to bring light and love to the entire world. Since birth, Brittiana was "all smiles", bringing sunshine into the lives of all whom she encountered. From a very early age; "Britt" (as she is affectionately known) enjoyed life to the fullest. Britt had amazing talents for acting, dancing, poetry and so much more. She excelled in school and also had hopes of becoming a pediatrician. Brittiana adored parties, having fun and doing all the things that kids like to do.

One might be tempted to label Brittiana Renee’ Henderson as “a regular kid”, but this is just not the case. What makes Brittiana so unique is her journey; in 2004 at the age of 10 Brittiana was diagnosed with Osteogenic Sarcoma (bone cancer). News of this magnitude has been known to take even the strongest of men down for the count, but not Britt. She soldiered on through this ordeal with the heart of a hero, enduring the chemo-therapy, the pain, and a partial knee replacement. Through it all, even on her worse days, Brittiana always found the strength within to take the focus off of her and put it on others. Britt would visit other children in the hospital and offer them her best; hugs and smiles. It was then that her parents Jamie and Shirell Henderson joined with Brittiana to start BrittiCares International (BCI), a non-profit organization dedicated to embracing children diagnosed with cancer through the power of love.

A girl this awesome deserves awesome results and that’s what she received, the chemo was complete and the cancer was in remission. She remained in remission for 14 months, until in 2006 Brittiana and her family received the baffling news that the cancer had returned, this time as Leukemia. Even this, did not stop Brittiana. She continued her fight with the same faith that brought her through once before. There was one difference, a very poor prognosis, and a slim chance of survival forecast was upon her, Brittiana said, “No Chemo, I want quality of life.” With her family by her side, Britt battled Leukemia through holistic regiments, hospital support and plenty of smiles. While maintaining such a positive outlook, and encouraging spirit for others, Brittiana found the time to assist with planning the 1st annual “Brittiana Smile for Life 5k run/walk” through BCI in order to raise funds for her treatment and that of other children with cancer.

Brittiana’s motto is “you never give up”, with her amazing fortitude, she walked the entire three miles. When Brittiana crossed the finish line, there was no doubt that we were looking into the eyes of a hero, who faced life’s challenges with strength and determination. A hero that caught the eyes of her loved ones, and captured the hearts and attention of America through the local news media and NBC’s Today show with her very own segment entitled “Inspiring a Nation”.

http://video.msn.com/v/us/v.htm?g=9713da44-fda5-42fb-993c-624135ed0b8a&f=34fg=rss

On Wednesday; January 31, 2007 Brittiana Renee’ Henderson’s struggle with cancer came to an end, but her legacy and journey continues on through the love, support, joy, and smiles that BCI has to offer to the lives of children and families afflicted with cancer.



This poem was wrote by Brittiana, after she was cured from bone cancer. Shortly before it was back as Leukemia. It's called 'Where I'm From'

Where I’m From

Beep, beep, beep, beep
Where I’m from you could hear beeping noises everywhere,
Hour by hour, minute by minute, second by second.
Where I’m from to hear people say what’s wrong with that girl?
Became normal to me.
Where I’m from doubt was not in my vocabulary for all I had was faith and belief.
Where I’m from the sound of babies crying with the slim chances of survival was all too common
Watching different coloured liquids, poison go into my veins.

Drip, drip, drip, drip
The thought of that sensation will forever be in my mind
Where I’m from most kids looked the same.
No hair on their heads, eyebrows or eyelashes, frail bodies with tubes attached.
Where I’m from the smell of fresh air most times is not an option, it was only a privilege.
The smell of thanksgiving dinner was not a desire, you were lucky if the smell didn’t make you sick to your stomach.
Where I’m from your own situation became less important than those around you.
Where I’m from, having a knee and half your leg being replaced with a prosthetic and a 12 inch scar is a blessing compared to not having a leg at all.

Where I’m from your family and friends shower you with love and support.
Where I’m from all you managed to keep was a smile on your face, because to have life is a joy.
Where I’m from you never give up
Where I’m from you don’t use your situation as a handicap
Where I’m from is where I’ve been and where I’ve been is a journey like no other.
I’ve learnt to be more compassionate, sincere, caring, understanding, positive and most of all I’ve learnt that life is precious and not to be taken for granted.

Where I’m from my hair is back, I’m no longer skinny and frail.
Where I’m from I love the smell of thanksgiving dinner and I enjoy daily breathing in the fresh air.
Where I’m from I never gave up, in spite of the pain, the five surgeries, that odds that have been stacked against me, and the challenges.
I stand tall with my head held high knowing that life brings us challenges, and challenges bring strength.
Where I’m from I am a survivor, free from cancer, waiting to embrace life before me.

Where are you from?

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Also visit www.britticares.org and www.myspace.com/angelbrittiana Thanks.