Personal Statement
It is my great pleasure to write this letter in support of your application to the esteemed University of your choice for a potential athletic scholarship. Braeden you are much more than an athlete in my opinion. You are a fighter with a heart full of passion for football. You have an amazing ability to read the field and maintain your position, breaking through the opponent’s line, and disenabling the quarterback. Unfortunately, your journey through high school has been a troubled one, one in which you had no control over.
During your freshman year, 2014-2015, at Isidore Newman School located in New Orleans, La; Braeden encountered a troubled transition period during his first semester of high school. Braeden had to awaken at 5am just to attend this school and at times was not in bed until after midnight due to practice and homework requirements. As you may know, Isidore Newman School may be referred to as the “Harvard” of high schools. During his second semester of his freshman year, Braeden started to improve his grades and was maintaining an A/B average prior to his freshman year trip. While attending Isidore Newman School, it is mandatory for all freshmen to take a trip to the White House, The Lincoln Memorial, and The Monticello to name a few. They leave Isidore Newman in Greyhound buses and maintain hotel stay in the northern region for a week. During his trip, Braeden started to experience stomach pain and a generalized feeling of nausea. He called home to his mother upon leaving Virginia and stated that he didn’t feel well. He wanted to make sure that she was on time to pick him up Sunday morning because he felt so badly. She politely explained to him that he had eaten fast foods all week and may have been constipated or may have contracted a virus. He agreed and fell asleep during the bus ride home. Approximately 6 hours later Braeden called his mother again and stressed how badly he was feeling. She again reassured him that once he arrived home, he would be appropriately medically screened. Upon his buses return to school, Braeden was immediately picked up by his mother. She had made him a healthy meal at home with roast, vegetables and backed macaroni to welcome him back home. He stated that he just wanted to rest, but ended up eating a small portion upon his return home. That evening, he kept complaining of abdominal pain off and on and stated that he felt bad. Again, his mother reassured him that he would be fine and would be able to return to school Monday. On Monday morning Braeden asked to stay home due to feeling worse. His mother encouraged him to return to school and he was instructed to call her if his signs and symptoms worsened.
Monday morning, Braeden kept texting his mother to come and pick him up from school because he was feeling much worse and started vomiting at school. He was picked up at 1pm and brought to the house where Braeden and his mother both began vomiting. His mother reassured him that he probably had a virus and that she had now contracted it. They both rested in the living room together that evening, when his mother was awoken by him moaning in his sleep at approximately 3am. She awoke him and he stated that he was nauseated and his stomach was starting to hurt much worse. She offered him some medicine and they both went back to sleep. At approximately 0610 am Braeden jumped awake and stated that he needed to go to the Emergency Room. He stated that his stomach pain was worse than a 10 and that he could no longer stand the pain. His mother suggested that he try and have a bowel movement to see if he would feel better. On his way down the hallway, Braeden almost fell to his knees in pain. He had now become diaphoretic and pale. His mother and brothers lifted him to a local recliner in which she assessed his abdomen. He was positive for rebound tenderness and was positive for a Psoas sign. This indicated appendicitis.
Braeden was rushed to a local hospital where he was prepared for emergency surgery. Both Braeden and his mother had no idea what was in store for them during this eventful time in their lives. Braeden underwent surgery which took longer than expected because his appendix had been ruptured for 3 days upon the surgeons estimated date of rupture. The surgeon stated to his mother that once Braeden was cut open, pus literally shot across the room. Braeden was still given a laparoscopic procedure, although he was flushed clean with 9 liters of fluid intra-abdominally. The surgeon stated that he was trying to preserve Braeden’s healing time to enable him to return to school and his normal work out regimen. Flushing a patient clean with 9 liters of fluid should have required a normal McBurny cut. Since this was not done at the time of surgery, Braeden ended up with 3 abscesses internally and a lacerated liver from the surgery. During surgery, Braeden’s intubation was not handled properly causing bilateral pneumonia in less than 8 hours post op.
Braeden’s stay at this hospital became a lengthy one for him and his family. He ended up with a PICC line due to his veins collapsing which later lost placement causing a central line to be placed in his neck with the assistance of his mother. The arm to which he had the PICC line placed was later 3rd degree burned by the nurses who heated up an ice pack filled with water in the microwave and placed it directly onto his numb arm. Braeden further encountered breathing difficulties and was unable to eat. He lost 28 pounds in the hospital that week.
Upon his discharge home to his mother, Braeden stopped breathing that night and his mother startled him back into a labored breathing pattern. His wound also ruptured open in which he was trying to catch the drainage with his drain that was left in postoperatively. He was screaming for help in the bathroom with drainage everywhere when his mother entered the room. Braeden was rushed to a different hospital locally and placed in ICU. It was later found that Braeden had critical empyemas to both lungs with his right lung being the worst. Empyemas are not uncommon after a ruptured appendix, but without proper and aggressive medical treatment; they may become fatal as they had in this case. His right lung was drained after 5 attempts in which they removed over 1500cc of fluid!! Braeden’s culture report revealed that he was resistant to all antibiotics except for one IV medication. He was on a strict pulmonary regimen and spent the next 6 weeks in the hospital. Braeden missed over 7 weeks of school and was threatened to have to repeat the 9th grade. Braeden’s mother fought the school and the state regarding fair treatment during such a dismal time. She taught him his studies and he proctored his exams at school throughout the summer leading into the 10th grade. Braeden literally took his last final the day before the new school year started. Braeden did not have a break, nor was he afforded spring and summer training for his sophomore football season. Braeden walked onto the field a miracle during his 2015-2016 school year. These are the clips that you have been afforded the opportunity to watch. Going into his sophomore year, Braeden remained passionate that he was going to “rock” the field every time he walked onto it; and he DID!!
By Christmas time, Braeden became severely depressed and lost interest in school. This is not uncommon for a teenager after a major catastrophe. He spoke with some prominent friends and even a Pro football defensive coach. They explained to him that he has strength and talent like they have never seen before in a child of his age. This was the boost and morale he needed to regain control of his goal to play college level football.
Braeden remains a happy, go lucky kid who knows everything about football and remains versatile on the field. He is truly a joy to watch and he remains grounded with a great sportsmanship attitude. His grades during his 9th and 10th grade years DO NOT define his capabilities academically. In speaking with the Dean of Schools at Isidore Newman School, no one in the history of the school has ever had the trials and tribulations that Braeden has and come out smiling; helping others through his experience. Braeden’s mother fought for him during that time and remains his angel. When she told the staff at the school of their entire experience and what it was like to watch her son take his last breath a few times, there was not a dry eye in the room of the faculty lounge.
Braeden wants nothing more than to be able to attend college and play football on the college and eventually PRO level, He remains very goal focused and has learned an immeasurable lesson at such an influential time in his life. With Braeden, all things are possible. He is always the guy you see helping others correct their form, or perfect a play. He believes that as a TEAM, all things are possible. He has truly been a blessing in mine and my family’s life. I thank the Lord everyday for the strength that he has bestowed upon Braeden. He is truly a leader and should not be penalized for his grades during his 9th and 10th grade years. He is looking forward to improving his grades next year back to the A/B honor roll that he is capable of achieving.
Thank You for allowing me the time to explain this young man’s determination and tribulations bestowed upon him.
If you should have any questions, please feel free to contact myself or my staff. Thank you again for understanding this young man’s journey.
Sincerely,
Brandy Kuhn, APRN, FNP-BC
KS Family Medical Clinic
550 Brownswitch Rd
Slidell, La 70458
985-445-1414
985-445-1416 (fax)
