IOWA CITY, Iowa — Brandi Gloeckner was very active in sports, but during a basketball camp in 2016 she started complaining that her left leg hurt. Her parents initially thought it was growing pains, but when it continued to worsen they became more worried and took her to the doctor where an X-ray showed a tumor on her left fibula. She was referred to University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital, where she was diagnosed with osteosarcoma – bone cancer. Brandi underwent two rounds of chemotherapy and had her left fibula removed. She wears an orthotic brace due to drop foot in her left leg.
She became very sick in 2017 after breaking her left tibia and was diagnosed with chemotherapy-induced heart failure. She received a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) to help her heart pump blood until she could have a heart transplant. She received her heart in March 2020.
Read Brandi’s story here.