Jr. Blues gear up for Brendan's Buddies game

February 24, 2014

This weekend, the St. Louis Jr. Blues face off against Wisconsin Whalers in a NA3HL divisional match up with an 8:00 pm faceoff at the Affton Ice Rink. Although a very important hockey game will take place, the Jr. Blues will be playing for a  great cause, their #1 fan Brendan Staub and the 3rd Annual “Brendan’s Buddies” Day at the Jr. Blues Game.

 

Brendan is a former Affton hockey player and the son of Jr. Blues goalie coach Mark Staub. When he was just 8 ½ years old, Brendan suffered from major seizures that doctors explained where caused by bilateral calcifications on his brain. The doctors said the calcifications had stopped growing and with medications Brendan remained seizure free from May 2004 through August 2004. When his seizures returned in October 2004 an MRI was performed to make sure the calcifications were not growing. The MRI showed a rapid growing tumor in the right temporal lobe of his brain. The tumor was removed immediately and the surgery was a success! His parents were told that Brendan's seizures would get better. However, the seizures were getting worse with Brendan suffering up to 50 seizures a day. Brendan had been diagnosed with multiple diseases, all were wrong.

 

In July of 2006 Shriner’s Hospital claimed that Brendan’s calcifications were still growing. In November of that year, Brendan suffered a stroke like episode that put him in a 3 day seizure. Since then, Brendan suffered four more stroke like episodes that has affected his vision. These stroke like episodes have occurred in the occipital lobe of his brain that controls his vision. In January of 2007 Brendan had his first appointment at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester Minnesota. He arrived in Minnesota with very poor vision, 20/500. The doctors had only given Brendan two years to live. Brendan's brain had been taken over from an undiagnosed white matter disease.

 

The doctors knew that they had to do something fast and they had to be aggressive. They went with an experimental drug (IVIg immunuogloblun) for Brendan. It worked! With these treatments the disease has remained contained, he has been seizure free for two years, and his vision is getting better, but his vision still comes and goes. Brendan takes several trips a year to the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN looking for answers to his medical problems. To this date, Brendan’s illness has not been diagnosed. Brendan still receives these very costly IVIg treatments every two weeks to keep him alive.

 

To help their #1 Fan and the Staub family, the Jr. Blues will raise money for Brendan’s foundation, “Brendan’s Buddies.” The Jr. Blues will donate $10 for every goal scored to Brendan’s Buddies and encourage the fans in attendance to make a donation of $1 to $10 for every goal scored by the Jr. Blues. Additionally, the Jr. Blues will wear a special jersey for the game as well will the visiting team, Wisconsin Whalers. Both sets of game worn jerseys will be up for a silent auction during the game with all the proceeds going towards the Brendan’s Buddies foundation. Head Coach, Chris Flaugher said, "We have done this game with Tommy McDermott and his organization for the last 3 seasons. First when they were in Quad City, and then this year as Wisconsin. Tommy has always been gracious and was completely open to having his team wear a special jersey for this game." Flaugher continued, "We are looking forward to seeing a great weekend of hockey against a great team that has teamed up with us to help raise money for a great kid. We can't thank Tommy and his organization enough."