Twelve-year-old Breanna Coleman has had 37 broken bones and undergone 14 surgeries. She lives every day with caution — and with an impending accident looming over her head. Something as simple as pulling a Band Aid off her arm could break it.
And it has.
Breanna has osteogenesis imperfecta, a condition she was born with that causes fragile bones. Known more commonly as brittle bones, the disease is caused by defect in the gene that produces type 1 collagen. In Breanna’s case, her disease resulted in a genetic mutation, but in most cases, it is inherited from the parent.
“It’s a learning experience,” Breanna’s mother, Samantha, said. “I’ve got to do things I never thought I would do or be strong enough to do.”
The smaller than average Shiloh Charter School sixth-grader is confined to a power wheelchair.
Although she is labeled “brittle,” Breanna’s outlook on life remains resilient. Munching on mac-and-cheese at Panera Bread, a pretty orange, pink and purple bow in her hair, Breanna chatted about enjoying drawing, reading “A Series of Unfortunate Events,” watching Harry Potter and learning Spanish in her class, which is “kind of hard, kind of easy.”
But as she goes through life, Breanna has to balance surgeries and injuries. Breanna will travel in March, to West Virginia for her next major surgery consultation. The surgery will be to straighten her back, which has severe sclerosis. If her spine isn’t corrected, then her organs can be pushed together, and she could go into bronchial arrest.
But, the surgery is costly.
“I’m not really sure how it’s all going to work out,” Samantha, a pharmacy technician at Walmart, said. “I’m not one to ask for money, but I could probably buy a house for the price it’s going to cost me.”
SHOW OF SUPPORT
Samantha, a concerned mother, has given everything out of love for her daughter. A patient at Shriners Hospital for Children in Tampa since birth, Breanna has received pamidronate IV treatment that helps strengthen her bones. But only one doctor in the Tampa area has performed this type of back surgery.
Through their support group, Samantha learned about a more experienced doctor in West Virginia. She knew that doctor was the one she would trust with the life of her daughter.
Already, the Plant City community has come together to help the Colemans. Samantha’s uncle, Dennis Barnhart, is a member of the Plant City Elks Lodge. During the annual Wild Game Cookout earlier this month, he spread the word about Breanna. The Elks Lodge ended up raising $2,400 for the surgery.
Barnhart brought the cash over to the Colemans without them knowing and dumped it on Breanna’s head.
“I was surprised,” Breanna said. “I was happy.”
“You don’t realize how much people care,” Samantha said.
Samantha and Breanna have put collection buckets out at area businesses and Shiloh Charter School is having classes collect loose change for Breanna.
BECOMING BREANNA
Breanna was born Sept. 14, 2000, by cesarian section. Her legs were broken and spread unnaturally apart. But, even before her birth, Samantha had been expecting a unique baby girl.
During one of her sonograms early in Samantha’s pregnancy, the doctor left the room. Samantha knew something was wrong. When the doctor came back, they shared that they thought her baby may have dwarfism because of her short legs.
“At this point, my doctor discussed me having an abortion — it was almost like he recommended it,” Samantha wrote in story for her church during her first Mother’s Day. “I was mad, angry, upset, confused. I wanted to know, ‘Why me? Why my baby?’
“Then one of God’s miracles occurred,” she wrote. “She moved. At that point, I knew I could not have an abortion — no matter what was wrong with her. She became Breanna to me that day.”
ONE DAY AT A TIME
Growing up has been a challenge. Since she was 2 years old, Breanna has been in a wheelchair. The Colemans have had to build wheelchair ramps at their house, and Breanna has an aide at school. Now, she has a power chair to help.
“It’s a lot easier,” Breanna said. “And I can go up and down, too.”
“It gave her her independence, because she wasn’t strong enough to move the manual chair,” Samantha said. “Now she can be a normal 12-year-old.”
When she’s not in her chair, she scoots around on the floor. But she hasn’t always been confined. With physical therapy, Breanna was up and walking in 2011, before she underwent arm surgery to put rods in for strengthen purposes.
“There’s never a dull moment,” Samantha said.
Breanna has broken many bones. Twice she’s broken both her legs at the same time. She broke her tibia trying to stand up in the car. Another time, her little sister, Katelynn, bumped into a fireplace grate which fell on top of Breanna.
“Basically, it’s being careful and always knowing our surrounds,” Samantha said. “Sometimes, it’s just one day at a time, one hour at a time.”
But still, the soon to be teenager always finds a way to heal.
Her advice to other young women dealing with adversity or challenges: “When something brings you down, don’t let it stop you. Keep going.”
Contact Amber Jurgensen at ajurgensen@plantcityobserver.com.
WANT TO HELP?
Want to help Breanna raise money for her surgery? Email her mother, Samantha, at brelifechange@yahoo.com.