19 Feb Meet the Woody Family

“They have so much fun here at the House,” says Lila, “their favorite thing to do together is play X-Box.”

Looking at Brandon and Brody Woody, you would never guess one of the two brothers is recovering from a brain tumor.  When six-year-old Brandon began experiencing severe headaches, his mom Lila grew concerned.  After numerous trips to the doctor where they dismissed his ailments as acid reflux or a sinus infection, Lila knew something more was wrong.  She took Brandon to the emergency room where doctors immediately performed a CAT scan which revealed a brain tumor.  Lila and her husband Cale rushed Brandon to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to have surgery 2 days later. Unfortunately, the Woodys were unable to bring Brandon’s brother, eight-year-old Brody, with them.

Lila and Cale spent more than 45 days sleeping in Brandon’s hotel room and going home to see Brody when they could.  Eventually the Woodys were able to get a room at the Ronald McDonald House and Brody was able to visit his brother for the first time.  While visiting his brother, Brody learned that Brandon’s hair would be falling out because of his chemo and radiation treatments, before Brandon started to lose his hair, Brody shaved his head so his little brother wouldn’t be alone.

“I have no idea where we would be without the House, I really don’t know,” says Lila.  The Woody family will be back home together soon but Brody faces a year of chemo treatments at their hometown hospital.

Thankfully, the Woodys know they will always have a place to call home in Atlanta.