On June 29, 2011, Jacob and Tallan Drewrey welcomed their firstborn, Brantley Royce Drewrey, into the world. Brantley was born with a collapsed lung and pulmonary hypertension along with countless other complications. At just one day old, Brantley was airlifted to Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis.
He remained under their care for more than two months, and since that day, Le Bonheur has been like a second home to the Drewrey family.
The Drewrey family came to Ole Miss last year to share the story of its 2-year-old son Brantley with RebelTHON volunteers.
RebelTHON is a dance-a-thon benefiting the patients of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Volunteers stand and dance for 12 hours for the kids who are unable to do so.
“It’s letting me do something I love for a good cause,” said Marlene Nguyen, sophomore pre-pharmacy major and RebelTHON volunteer.
The first annual RebelTHON last year raised more than $25,000 through a $15 sign-up fee from each volunteer and various donations.
Every hour during the event, a different family shared its story with the dancers and volunteers in attendance. The stories of these families made the benefit much more personal for some of the volunteers.
Brantley’s illness is so unique that there are only three other cases in the world that can be compared to his, Brantley’s mom Tallan said on Brantley’s Facebook page.
“Brantley’s story made me realize that I could be helping change someone’s life; every kid has a story and hearing them at RebelTHON made the whole night much more meaningful for me,” Nguyen said.
Fundraisers like RebelTHON are vital to the success of Le Bonheur.
“The current fundraiser going on right now is called Enchanted Forest Festival of Trees at Pink Palace Museum,” said David Henson, Le Bonheur’s public relations and marketing assistant. “Another upcoming event, which I am really excited about, is LeBonAppetit. Forty of the top local and national chefs will be coming together in Memphis for a night in April and cooking a dinner.”
The comfort offered at Le Bonheur is unique in a sense that it allows its patients to feel at ease, not an easy task given some of the circumstances they are under. The relationships that the patients and families of Le Bonheur develop are a direct reflection of this.
“Everything there is about children. They have so many events to help the kids feel special,” Tallan said. “We thought Brantley was going to be there for his birthday this past year, and they were going to plan a party for him … just how much they put in to make my child feel comfortable makes me feel good.”
Tupelo native Kelly Scott began volunteering shortly after her daughter was treated at Le Bonheur, desperately wanting to help in any way possible. After helping at a local benefit, she became a regular volunteer and now serves as the development coordinator for the hospital.
“It’s such a good place … not only do we take care of your child, but we take care of the whole family,” Scott said. “We will do everything that we can — for the patient, for the parent, for the family member — to make you feel comfortable here.”
The sense of family that the patients and their families feel is present among the staff as well. It is more than a job for them, as members Scott and Henson both find their jobs extremely rewarding.
“It breaks your heart to see kids who should be at school and playing with their friends rather than being stuck in a hospital, but then to see their faces as they are about to go home makes it all worth it,” Henson said.
Le Bonheur prides itself on having the best doctors and staff along with top-of-the-line technology so that patients receive not only the highest quality treatment but also the most genuine care available.
In its 2013-14 rankings, U.S. News & World Report recognized Le Bonheur as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country. Programs specializing in neurology and neurosurgery, cardiology and heart surgery, pulmonology, nephrology and urology are among the best for kids. Two hundred fifty thousand children visit Le Bonheur each year, and there are more than 3,000 staff members at the hospital.
“In 2010 we were told that the hospital would take 10 years to fill; we were in full capacity within nine months,” Scott said. “We see the future; we know kids will still get sick, so we grow by planning ahead.”
The passion of Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital shines through its staff and doctors as they work tirelessly in an effort to heal their patients. The hope of a cure is what makes 12 hours of dancing seem so short.
“Knowing that there are other people out there willing to contribute and stand for so long gives Brantley a chance at a better future,” Drewrey said. “It’s amazing to see how other people are willing to help — people I don’t even know.”
