Brock and The Priceless Memories

The handsome Mr. Brock!

“My life was completed that day. We had two girls and finally, my boy. My life was at the highest. Grade School hottie as my wife. He was gonna be my fishing, hunting and farming partner.”

 ~Brad Scarpetta~
 A Warrior’s Daddy

When it comes to this blog and it’s content, what you have read is genuine when it comes to expressing my feelings. If you know me the way that I would like to be known, you will feel that my heart is in the right place when it comes to the families in the Batten community. I think that for the most part, the feedback has been positive and most people appreciate what has been done so far. Those that know me can see that I love my special needs son Benjamin to the moon and back. Yes, I guess it is true that perhaps I talk about him a bit much. He is, however, the center of our world at this house. Benjamin had genetic tests and an evaluation done on him when he was much younger. The doctor could not give him a diagnoses at the time but she felt that there was evidence that his disorder was degenerative. As he has gotten older, things like his mobility have been affected. He now needs help getting around for even the shortest distances. There are other issues that cause concern. Where I am going with this? My point is that he needs us in a big way for his daily care. I don’t ever want to think of him as a burden. He can be just a pure joy to be around and the bond between us is so very strong. He will be with us for as long as we are able and it may be a race to the finish line. Having Benjamin has increased my sensitivity to people with special needs and I think that lends itself to my sensitivity to those with Batten Disease. That, of course, came after I was first made aware.

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My heart goes out to Batten families, and actually, you have a big piece of it. The journey that you take is one that is unique. I repeat details about how I feel concerning the Batten community routinely. It is normal to repeat things when you want to place greater emphasis on them. Is it not? So when I repeat my feelings about the course of events that take place in your journey, I do so because I feel they are noteworthy. The undying love that is shown. The initial trama of receiving the diagnosis and how it gives way to determination. Determination to do your very best for your child. It is easy for me to over simplify things because I have not been there. I can, however, make observations. You were told that your child has a fatal disease and what do you do? I know that initially you may have been totally despondent over what seems to be a hopeless situation. Your heart breaks but it is your deepest desire to do the very best that you can in providing the richest experiences for your young warrior. You provide everything that is needed to the best of your ability. I have done enough of these stories now and each one has turned out to be an amazing account of sacrificial love and care. It is not because of my words.

​All I have done is to use the details that I was given in order to put them into words that tell the story. The story is yours, not mine. Awareness? Yes, but my greater purpose has been simply to share the details of what is faced and how the love that I often speak about is displayed. My foremost purpose has also been to honor the little warriors that face this battle so bravely. In their innocence, they press on while displaying a smile until they are no longer able to. They are just so resilient and I am amazed at how they are able to teach us about the indomitable human spirit. I am truly moved by each one’s story and I was truly blessed, over the course of last year, by all those who had placed their trust in me.

It is true that you can’t please everyone, all the time. It is also true that this blog is not for everyone. Several families have said “No thanks.” For others, the timing wasn’t appropriate and I completely understand. For others, they have been more than willing to be included and they have been very appreciative at the time of their story’s completion. Batten parents will express the gratitude before going back to the challenges that lie before them. Finally, there are those that have offered me a great deal of encouragement and support. This has happened through various means and sometimes it has just come through subtle comments and kind words. One such case is comments received from the Scarpetta family via Brad Scarpetta, the dad. His kind words have not gone unnoticed. He has had several nice things to say about what I do with the blog and so I thought that I would ask if he would allow me to tell his family’s story. He said yes! As I write this I am thinking, duh Greg! Maybe you should have asked sooner. I hope that my readers will have a sense of humor in regards to some of what is to follow. Sometimes laughter is the best medicine.

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Brad and Christina of course. Great pic!

This story could have taken place in any town in America, but this particular one is taking place in a town within the state of Illinois. In a small town named Shirland to be exact. At the time of the last census that was taken the town had less than a thousand people. This sounds like a great place to hide. Maybe get married and raise a family. I am sure that there is space enough to enjoy all kinds of outdoor fun with the family that you dreamed about having as you made plans. As the years pass and time moves on, the memories that are made together stay with you for a lifetime. There are so many things that can be bought but the memories that come from being a family are priceless. These memories carry more value than anything money can buy.

Brad Scarpetta and Christina Jobson grew up in this little town and both attended Shirland Elementary all the way through the 8th grade. According to Brad Christina was one of the most popular kids, while he was not. She had Brad’s attention at an early age but it sounds like poor Brad went unnoticed by Christina. I feel your pain Brad! I wasn’t one of the popular ones either. As it is in most small towns, the kids follow each other from grade school to the local high school. Brad was one year behind Christina and so he literally followed her to Hononegah High School. I am sure that Brad still had his eye on Christina as according to him, she was “the hottest chic in their hometown.” Christina did everything in school activity wise. She played sports like basketball, volleyball, and she was a gymnast as well. Brad would tell me that she continued most of these into high school. Christina went on to attend Junior College and she earned her Associate's degree before going to full time employment. Brad, on the other hand, began work life right out of high school but he would later attend technical college for heating and air-conditioning plus refrigeration. This turned out to be an excellent move as he now works full time servicing equipment for large retail stores in the area. Christina would work for a single company for 14 years before taking a job as a school bus driver part-time. This so that she could have more time at home with her kids. She would later decide to return to full-time employment and she now works for the postal service. She has been there for three years and loves it. Oh, did I leave something out. I am getting ahead of myself here.

It was while they were in their mid-twenties that Brad and Christina started to date. Finally, that girl that caught Brad’s eye back in grammar school started to become interested in him. Brad told me that it was at the Boone County Fair that they dated for the first time. Gee, I wonder if it was Brad’s Harley Davidson that attracted Christina at first. Hmmm, maybe! It was in 2004 that Brad and Christina started to date on a regular basis. They both had a love for horseback riding and would frequently ride the trails together on horseback. Their fun in the country together had to include conversations about memories of their time as kids growing up. Having grown up in the same town and attending the same schools gave them much to remember and discuss. Their relationship continued to grow and a wedding date was set. They would get married in November of 2005. Memories of the past would soon be connected to new memories made in a life spent together. Memories, and yes, challenges unseen as they began their life together. Christina would bring her daughter Karly into the marriage and Brad would adopt Karly in 2006. As his relationship with Christina has continued to grow, so has the one that he has with Karly, his adopted daughter. That is special! Karly is now twenty years old!   

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Bottoms up!

Brad said that June the 1st of 2005 was an extremely happy day for him. That is the day that their daughter Cloe was born. She was so perfect and perfectly beautiful. The Scarpetta family was starting to really look just like that, a family! Brad would tell me that he had just taken a severance package from a company at the time that Cloe was born. This allowed him to spend everyday with baby Cloe for the first six months of her life. For him, it was an amazing experience. Brad had been working a lot of hours when he was younger but it was during this time that he attended school for refrigeration. Going to school and settling into a stable career would give him more time with his growing family. Christina’s own steady employment added to the family’s standard of living. They had two beautiful daughters and life was pretty good!

Sometimes, one gender runs predominant in a family. My wife’s sister Laurie and her husband Randy had three girls as they completed their family. I can remember Randy saying that he would have given anything to have had a son. He went on to say, that is except for one of his girls.
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In our case, we had three boys as Rosie gave birth to Benjamin. I have said in a joking fashion before and I will say it again. We were trying for a girl but we got a Benjamin instead. Life has never been the same for us and it was soon to change again for the Scarpetta family as Brad again heard those famous words, “I am pregnant”. Brad told me that they decided as a couple that they would not seek to know the baby’s gender but would wait to be surprised. Surprised they would be! That was on April the 9th of 2007. That was the day that baby Brock was born. Just like his sister Cloe when she was born, he was perfect. He had all his fingers and toes and you guessed it! He was delivered brand new to the showroom floor complete with that new baby smell! Was this a big deal to Brad? Oh, you betcha it was. Here is how he would put it to me, “I’ll never forget the joy! When the doctor said it was a boy. I was overwhelmed! I love my two girls, but a little partner to get into mischief with was my dream come true!”

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Brock and the sisterhood!

As I have been preparing to do this story, it has become apparent to me that Brad is a character. He loves to laugh and make other people laugh. I like that! Having little Brock in his life would allow him to mold his son into his image. That image included being a character and that would soon be the case! As Brock continued to grow he would bring mom and dad much joy. He would develop and reach his milestones on time. This would provide memories for their future together. Memories that are priceless and wonderful to remember. As Brock grew, he began to show off his charismatic personality to all that he was in contact with. Brad said that Brock developed a fondness for tormenting his sisters. Go figure! In concluding every sentence after a fight with the sisterhood, he would use the word duh! He used that word generously! You know Brock-man, as I was thinking about this, the question came to mind. What else are sisters good for other than tormenting? After all, they don’t like the things that us guys like and they don’t think like us. They are made of sugar and spice and all that stuff. You can have all of it girls! Yes, you torment them in the most endearing fashion that you can. Then as you grow up and sit and enjoy the holidays with family, you share in the memories of the time that you spent together. Those memories would include those of tormenting your sisters with much love and affection! Brock made sure to let people know that he was the smartest person in the house. Brad said that Brock loved making faces at people. No doubt, he loved using this tactic on his sisters. More memories.   

In all seriousness, little Brock loves his family so much and that would include his sisters. As Brock continued to grow, he enjoyed time spent outdoors with his family. Brad said that he would take the kids fishing together all the time and the first fish that Brock caught was a Largemouth Bass. Brad would go on to say that the Bass was over half as big as Brock. That is no fish tale! Brock loved hunting for mushrooms, being on the the family tractor, and helping with chores. Just like their parents, both Cloe and Brock love horses. Growing up, they both had ponies. Cloe’s pony was named Princess and the name of Brock’s pony was Star. The family has always had livestock of some type. That would include horses and donkeys. Brad and Christina made sure that there were plenty of activities to help increase the bond as a family. It was also just plain fun! Brad said that they would travel to Wisconsin, when Brock was five years old, to attend Little Britches Rodeos. Brock rode Bare Bronc Ponies and according to his dad, he was pretty good at it. Perhaps we are talking about a future Rodeo star in Brock. This was taking place in 2012. According to Brock’s dad, there was one white pony that Brock would draw frequently. Brock got bucked off of that pony three different times, after which he referred to her as a mean pony. Sounds pretty mean to me too Brock-man! You can tell from all of this that this couple sought to do everything that they could do to give their children outlets for growth and learning. They were doing their best to make sure that the kids were experiencing life to the fullest.

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Grandpa Tino with litttle Brock

With living in the same area that they were raised in, time together included time spent with their extended families. You remember that Brad talked about having someone to get into mischief with. You just know that Brock was going to pick up some of his dad’s character traits and it sounds like he was developing some of his own. According to Brad, Brock would have him rolling on the floor laughing at an early age. He had this to add, “He just did funny things all the time. He was gonna be the class clown and give me lots of gray hairs, Lol.”   
Brad recalled one incident in particular that happened when they were driving with Brad’s dad and uncle. Brock was in the middle of the two of them in his car seat and he had control of the radio. Brad would go on to say that Brock loves country music. By my own admission, so do I! Anyhow, what took place is that Brock turned up the radio and when he did it happened really fast and it was turned up extremely loud. Brad reached for the radio quickly and turned it down as fast as he could. As this happened little Brock looked at Brad’s uncle Dennis and uttered a phrase starting with the word “Oh”. It ended with the choice word that starts with the letter “S”. Get it?

(Now this whole scene reminds me of a country song and this would not be the first time that talking to Brad would do that for me. He he!)
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Brad said that he would have disciplined Brock for the use of that word but all the adults in the car were too caught up in their  laughter to do anything about it!  

Every family has their struggles but you have the feeling that up to this point, things were pretty good at the Scarpetta house. They had a solid work ethic and were receiving the benefits of that. Their emphasis on family was where everyone's should be. Life wasn’t perfect but it was really good. Looking forward, one would only expect that Brock’s life would hold a ton of promise for the future. All the time spent together only served to increase the bond that was felt, and this also is the way things should be. Nobody would have suspected the challenge that would lie ahead for this family. Things can sometimes change in an instant, and for the Scarpetta's they did. Brad remembers that it was on May the 1st of 2014 that Brock would have his first seizure. The seizure would be called a Febrile seizure which can be brought on by a change in body temperature. This assumption was due to the fact that Brock had a cold and a fever at the time. This, in fact, happened the night before Brad’s graduation from technical college at two o’clock in morning. Brock had a Grand-Mal seizure while sleeping with Brad and Christina. Brad had told me that this was extremely scary and who would argue that it would be. The family was at the hospital until 7am and no testing had been performed. Brad said that at the time, they had bought the false diagnoses “hook line and sinker”. No one can blame them for that. Why would they suspect anything different at that point? There was no way of knowing that they were entering the world of those that deal with a rare disease in their child. A disease that they had, most likely, never heard of.

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No words are adequate. Little Brock-man!

As one would expect, the next seizure came and it happened on June the 26th of 2014 while Brock was watching cartoons with his mom. He was transported, again, by ambulance after having back to back Grand-Mal seizures. Brad said that they were persistent this time, believing that Brock’s body was trying to tell them something. This was taking place at Rockford Memorial Hospital in the city of Rockford. It was there that Brock would be kept for two days while the staff performed EEGs, brain scans, and various other tests. As might be expected, he was prescribed the medication Keppra for seizures but the pediatric Neurologist was too busy to see Brock right away. Instead, he was given an appointment for 3 months later. Brad’s response to this shows the type of father he is and it also shows the love that he has for Brock,  “I flipped out. Nope not my child. Not 3 months. We gathered all the information from the hospital that Friday while still there. I called the UW of Madison Wisconsin. I cried and begged them to help my child. They complied and got him in the following Monday.”

Some of what happened next sounds all too familiar as I have written other stories. One in particular about a beautiful warrior princess named Montanna. She lives in Wisconsin, of course, with her very wonderful family. Anyhow, it was on Brock’s very first appointment at the university that the family conferred with a Pediatric Neurologist named Dr. Hsu. They were also seen by a Geneticist named Dr, Rice. They had both reviewed Brock’s file previous to the appointment and had questions and things that they wanted to test for. Batten Disease was mentioned but, at the time, the family didn’t think that was possible. By the end of 2014, a blood test for Batten Disease had come back negative. Doctor Rice wanted to have a skin biopsy performed just to make sure. Perhaps he had seen blood tests come back before with a negative reading, only to be proven wrong at a later date. One thing that is frustrating for many people in this country is having to deal with insurance companies who refuse to pay for testing that is needed. As Brad would put it, they had to play the “insurance game”. Do you think that the people order this type of testing for the fun of it? I wish this kind of thing didn’t happen. Brad and Christina had something happen in relationship to this. I’ll let you read what he said,

“In the meantime we visited Mayo Clinic. I’ll never forget this. It was a Wednesday night and I was taking Cloe to softball practice. It was February of 2015. At 7:30pm, I get a call from a Wisconsin area code. It startled me as I knew I wasn’t on call for work. It was Dr. Rice. He stated that his secretary had never submitted Brock’s paperwork because she “knew” insurance would deny it. I lost it on him. We needed them to deny it so we could appeal it. He asked this question and I’ll never ever forget the feeling. He asked me if I wanted to fire her?”

Initially, Brad wanted that to happen. After he had cooled down and thought through the situation, he felt different. People make mistakes and he felt that since she probably had a family to feed, he said no to her firing. In the end, they just got the whole process moving again. It took Unitedhealthcare a long time to approve as the testing was denied twice. That is so wrong! I can only imagine what the Scarpetta family was feeling as they had to wait during this period of time. It was in June of 2015 that the testing was finally performed. In July of the same year, they received the awful diagnosis that must have brought with it devastation. Brock in fact, had Batten Disease. He was at the beginning of his battle with the CLN8 variant of Batten. He is a warrior and a courageous champion. Not to mention, a darling of a young man! ​

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A warrior and his mom!

The family was told that the only thing that would help is Gene Replacement Therapy. They have done fundraising for the therapy but it brings with it a price tag of 3.5 million dollars. I think that for the average family, this would seem like an unattainable amount of money and the treatment is not covered by private insurance. Most parents would do everything that they possibly can for their child no matter how big the challenge is. Some challenges are so big that all you can do is to do the very best that you can do and know for yourself that you did. No matter what, for now, Brock’s care is the most critical thing and this family is giving it their all. Christina is Brock’s main caretaker and she does this very lovingly, just like you would expect from a mom.

I love knowing how involved Brad is with his children. He is a great dad! Why would he not be though. This is what he longed for. This and the memories that come with raising a family. The priceless ones. In regards to moms, you have heard me say that there is no love like a mother’s love. I have also said that momma feelings are the best feelings. By that I mean, in part, that moms are often the best at putting their feelings into words. Christina started her comments to me like this, “It’s definitely been a roller coaster of emotions, from the day he was diagnosed in 2015 until now. The first few months were horrible. Who do we call? What do we do? How can we help Brock?”

The effects of Battens on Brock were gradual at first. According to Christina most of 2016 was pretty good and Brock was seizure free. However, by the end of 2016 Brock’s balance and walking began to decline. As time goes along, he is needing more and more help getting around so that he doesn’t fall. Brock’s mom says that there are days that he will take steps without assistance and that is considered to be an extremely good day. Christina said that his eyesight is gradually getting worse. First signs were that he was having problems seeing when the lights were dim or it was dark outside. Lately, as of 2017, his eyesight in the light and in the daytime is declining. They have their ups and downs with the disease and Brock’s appetite is hit or miss. Some days he eats non-stop and others he will just pick at his food. Mom now feeds Brock and he drinks using a straw. Christina bathes and dresses Brock and they now use pull-ups under his clothing. Concerning the seizures associated with Battens, she said that at one point they had gone two years without any seizure activity. Then, all of a sudden, there were four seizures in a week and a half. Christina recounted one experience with that and I will leave in her own words, “I remember two seizures when I was home alone with Brock. It was the worst feeling I’ve ever had, Helpless.”
Getting enough rest was difficult for this heartbroken momma. As she stated, “I didn’t sleep very well, often crying myself to sleep.” Brock battles like a warrior but the family has seen some big declines with him. Like with any Batten family, medicine changes take place almost routinely for Brock.

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As I stated earlier, one of the continuing themes that I have seen in doing these stories has to do with the determination that is shown in the midst of very trying circumstances. Christina would confirm this in her comments. She stated how difficult that it is to stay strong while dealing with the heartache associated with Brock’s circumstances. She is her son’s primary caretaker. Like any child with special needs, the Batten warrior requires special care. I see what my special needs son requires in the way of help but for the Batten parent, I feel that the demands are greater in many respects. Christina takes Brock to all of his doctor and therapy appointments. I have no doubt that there are many that they attend. Brock is a battler! Christina said that Brock will decline to the point that the therapist will not know what to try next. Then, after a change in medication, he will bounce back a few days later. He will be his “spunky self”. You go Brock-man!

The level of devotion displayed by the Scarpetta’s, and others within the Batten community, to me is without equal. Yes, I know that there are other rare diseases that affect children. There is pediatric cancers for which more needs to be done. I believe that the parents of Batten warriors represent those in the other communities quite well. Moving past  the heartache and just getting on with each day. Yes, I’ll say it again, the undying love that is shown. I know that Christina cherishes every single moment that she spends as Brock’s caretaker. Each little victory or achievement on any given day brings with it pure joy. As she put it to me, “I shed tears on the littlest things he does or a word he spits out.” This, I am sure, is true even when the fatigue sets in. It has to be tiring at times but I don’t think that she  would want to give that responsibility to anyone else. She shares some of the experience in this way,  

“I sing the star spangled banner to him every night. That was one of his favorite songs he loved to sing. If he’s having a rough morning, we sing and dance in the kitchen. I do anything to make him laugh and smile. There are nights where I just watch him sleep and kiss his forehead until I can’t keep my eyes open any longer. He was up all night one time and wouldn’t stop crying. I drove him around the countryside and we listened to music to calm him down and make him smile. I take him everywhere I go. Shopping movies, etc. Some trips are better than others.”

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Christina stated that she doesn’t like it when people stare or make comments. We get plenty of stares with Benjamin when out in public. You can take a quick glance but staring shows that you are more handicapped than you may be aware of. Christina is not shy about voicing her opinion when people exhibit this type of behavior. She is, after all, the mother of a warrior and a warrior mom! She said that she tries not to think about the toll that the disease is taking on her son’s health. Like all warrior moms, she places one foot in front of the other each day and she gives it her all. I know from following this family that Brad can’t wait to arrive home each day to spend time with the son he dreamed of having. His little warrior and champion. He lives to hear the laughter that comes out of Brock as they horseplay together in the evening. He roughes his boy up as much as he can get away with in the most adoring fashion. This family rocks the house!

Moving forward there will be big challenges and some more heartbreaks. The Scarpetta family will do absolutely everything that can be done to help their son have maximum success and the greatest longevity that can be found. Just like with any family, there will be bunches of sweet memories. Ones that are priceless. Would it not be priceless to know that Batten Disease was easily treatable? That the science is there and clinical trials are over and successful? That people were well educated on it and a diagnosis was always determined quickly? Insurance companies paid the bills, and on and on? I know that I am a bit of a dreamer.
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Priceless!

The message in this video is priceless to me. Because of the challenges that are faced, Brock’s story is even more priceless. No matter what the future holds, Brock’s life will impact the lives of his family members like no one else’s. These kids teach us things about ourselves that we never would have known and they change our perspective on many counts. Their stories have changed me! Brock-man you are a warrior of the most adorable kind. Please battle on and kick Batten Disease square in the teeth to the best of your ability!
Scarpetta family, thank you so much for letting me tell your story which is among the best because that is what you are!

Like father like son as the saying goes.  I am a firm believer that people need to laugh a little or life often gets to them. In my case, I like to laugh a lot and Brad is just the guy to help me with that. He gave me a few funny things that have happened with Brock while in his presence. I’ll close with one of the real cute ones. As told by his dad, this happened when Brock was five years old:

“We would be in Walmart. I’d put him in the cart and talk to him. I used to ask him about hot chics at school and wherever he was that day. As we are headed to the checkout here comes, well, hot chics. He hollers, ‘Dad look at those hot chics.’ Pretty sure I power walked looking at the ground while they giggled and laughed, talking about how cute Brock was lol”

Brad then went on to finish the story by acknowledging a fact. That is that there are things that he and Brock have missed out on because of the disease. “Greg he was a lot of fun. I miss them days. I miss seeing what else he was gonna come up with.” There are some memories that will not get made because of Batten Disease and there are others that will never be taken away. There will be other memories made and you can bet on one thing. Those are the ones that will be priceless!

Families like this are why I am doing what I do! That is why my time and energy away from my job is spent here and it will continue to be, for as long as you will have me. Thanks so much!

    ~Greg Lopez~
Blogger and Advocate

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