Adventure Magazine

So, it was no surprise to his family
when he decided to enter the Coast
to Coast in 2020 and became the
youngest competitor in the two day
individual event. He loved the race, the
comraderie, the challenge.
“Growing up I have always done a lot
of team sports and I was looking for
a way to really push myself and see
how far I can go. After talking to a few
different people, one of my outdoor ed
teachers mentioned the Coast to Coast
and since then I knew I wanted to give
it a go."
After the gruelling Coast to Coast,
Brodie, not surprisingly, had a few
aches and pains, including a sore back.
Two weeks later, when the pain was
not healing, Brodie went for an MRI
scan……...the news was not good.
“After I had just had an MRI scan, I was
rushed upstairs, and was told to skip
the full waiting room and go directly
to the specialist. After sitting down the
specialist put his head in his hand and
I think that was the first time I knew
something really wasn't right.”
Brodie was diagnosed with extensive
cancer of the spine and pelvis.
“When I was first diagnosed with cancer
it didn't feel like there was much time
to think that I was in trouble, the next
3 weeks of testing went really fast and
I was always more focused on what
the next step was, rather than worrying
about what was really going on.”
After months of tests, diagnosis,
bone biopsies and many sleepless
nights, it turned out that Brodie didn’t
have cancer but a very rare (one in a
million) life threatening autoimmune
blood disease called Aplastic Anaemia.
Basically he had zero bone marrow left
and with his platelet levels so low he
was at risk of bleeding out. The good
news was that Aplastic Anaemia was
curable with a bone marrow transplant,
but the family were warned that there
was an 85% chance of survival.
“After the final bone marrow biopsy
result came back saying that I didn't
have cancer I had a rush of lots of
different emotions. I was thankful to
hear that it wasn't cancer but I still had
a concerned feeling as we were unsure
of what was really going on. I think the
moment I knew this would be a very
hard and long road ahead was the first
time I was sent down to Christchurch
for further testing. One day I remember
having to talk to all the doctors and
specialists for 3 to 4 hours about all the
different potential risks and the side
effects that chemo can have and as a
17 year old being told that you’re dying
and that the treatment could also kill
you was very confronting.”
"As a 17 year old being told that you’re
dying and that the treatment could
also kill you was very confronting”
Day of the transplant, December 11th, 2020 In hospital recovering, December 2020
Brodie competing in the 2-day Individual at the 2020 Coast to Coast
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