After their young son died from cancer, Greg and Leone Ottenbreit found the courage to continue living by relying heavily on their deep faith in Jesus Christ.
Brayden Ottenbreit was diagnosed with cancer before his fourth birthday in 1998. While the Yorkton boy went through surgery, chemotherapy and radiation, he did not recover and died in 2000 at age 5 ¾.
His family then started an annual fundraiser called the Brayden Ottenbreit Close Cuts for Cancer head-shaving event. The fundraiser has generated nearly $1 million since its inception.
The Ottenbreits were in Moose Jaw on March 28 as the guest speakers of Heartland Hospice’s inaugural fundraiser called An Evening of Love, Hope, Faith and Resilience.
More than 110 people packed into the Mae Wilson Theatre to listen to the couple’s story, while also supporting the hospice’s goal of raising funds to create a garden outside the hospice room at Pioneer Lodge to provide serenity for clients and families who use the room.
The Ottenbreits received a standing ovation from the crowd after they finished speaking.
Courage to live
Practising courage means being firm in one’s beliefs and sticking to those beliefs, Mr. Ottenbreit.
“We’ve developed a very strong faith over the years,” he continued. “To me courage is … also (being) willing to have a little bit of humility. That’s tough for me a lot of the times. Brayden, he was such a courageous little soul.”
Mrs. Ottenbreit’s courage and strength to continue functioning comes from God, she explained. Her natural tendency is to ball up in a corner and weep when something tragic occurs.
“I can’t do anything aside from him,” she added.
The Ottenbreits noted that Brayden was humourous, liked going to church and enjoyed having fun.
Last days of life
Brayden — who lived his last days at home — died on Friday, Feb. 11, 2000, but began showing signs that he might die on the Tuesday before, Mrs. Ottenbreit explained. The right side of his body was paralyzed, while his pain was intolerable.
Brayden slept in his parent’s bed the night before he died, with Greg and Leone on each side of him. She fell asleep holding Brayden’s right hand tucked under her chin.
At 6:45 a.m. on Feb. 11, Brayden moved his hand for the first time in two weeks.
“Suddenly I can feel it moving. I thought, ‘I must be dreaming. This is weird,’” said Mrs. Ottenbreit. “I opened my eyes and looked up and kicked Greg because both of (Brayden’s) arms were lifted to the ceiling. There was a smile on his face and … his eyes both brightened up. And then he took his arms, laid them across his chest and breathed his last.
“We knew where he was going and knew who took him.”
“It was such a confirmation of what was to come after,” said Mr. Ottenbreit. “I knew that he was OK … It was a pretty amazing experience to witness that.”
This is one reason why more focus needs to be placed on end-of-life care and palliative care, said Mrs. Ottenbreit.
People need to hear how life is valuable and precious, Mr. Ottenbreit added. At no time did he ever think to end his son’s life prematurely.
How death affects the living
Even though he operates airplanes, motorcycles and snowmobiles, nothing scares Mr. Ottenbreit too much, nor does he fear death, he said. He was 36 years old when Brayden died, so by that point his fear of death had vanished.
“I believe what the Bible tells us, (that) we get our new bodies (in heaven),” Mr. Ottenbreit continued. “So I’m picturing (Brayden) in heaven playing with a new body and not in pain anymore.”
Mr. Ottenbreit — the Sask. Party MLA for Yorkton and minister of rural and remote health — has also experienced cancer. He was diagnosed with colorectal cancer at age 53 in 2017. He had 12 inches of his bowel removed and is now in remission.
He remarked that he trusts the health-care system but has total faith in God. He also knows he’ll see his son again someday, but for now, wants to grow old with his wife, spend time with his daughters and watch his grandchildren grow up.
This was the first death that Mrs. Ottenbreit experienced first-hand, she said. Although she had attended her grandparents’ funerals, this was the first time she dealt with death so personally.
Mr. Ottenbreit’s father died from lung cancer, while Mrs. Ottenbreit’s father and father-in-law also died from cancer.
Inspiration and lessons learned
Mrs. Ottenbreit was inspired by her son who, though he had a short life, had a powerful effect on her. She also developed an attitude of being better and not bitter.
Mr. Ottenbreit agreed, adding he was inspired by the strength that Leone displayed during that time, and during his cancer scare.
One lesson Mrs. Ottenbreit learned was to eliminate the “wouldas, shouldas, couldas” and “what-ifs” from her thinking. Everything that happens in life is a learning opportunity that people need to accept.
Both agreed that open communication is important, compared to holding inside thoughts and feelings.
