Briana’s Healing Journey

I learned of my brain tumor on Christmas Eve while visiting my late husband Jeff’s hometown and loving family for the holidays. Our loving Jaeger family stayed by my side during my ER visit, hospital admission, and the discovery of the brain tumor, while making sure my daughters, Ella and Cora, still had a wonderful Christmas. My Dad flew to Fargo on Christmas Day to speak with the doctors and take me home to Atlanta where my Mom and Stepdad were already moved into to my house, ready to care for me and my girls as we navigated this life-altering and uncertain new reality.

It was clear from the beginning that this would be a family journey and that has grounded and sustained me each step of the way.

My journey has had ups and downs, and I have been blessed to be held and supported by my family and friends. I had a successful surgery with a confident and compassionate neurosurgery team and a rehabilitation process grounded in purpose, spirituality, creativity, and human-centered care from nurses, doctors, physical therapists, occupational therapists, and recreational therapists.

I have also experienced challenges, accepting my new limitations, living with a heightened level of uncertainty, and handling how my diagnosis was initially communicated to me that left me feeling despair and confusion.

Fortunately, I was lifted out of my despair by moments of hope, a visit from a red cardinal right after getting the difficult diagnosis news, which I experienced as a message of love and reassurance from Jeff. This was followed by a compassionate phone call from the doctor who would eventually become my neuro-oncologist who helped me see that there are other options beyond what was initially presented to me and that most importantly, there is hope.

My journey thus far has revealed how deeply intertwined relationships, faith, purpose, hope, and healing truly are—and inspired the creation of the Healing Journeys Foundation.

And my biggest source of hope and motivation continue to be my daughters Ella and Cora, who inspire me daily to resist despair and live fully despite cancer.