P.E.O. PROGRAM FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION | PCE
om and Brandi Reazin were the typical high school sweethearts. Brandi was the cheerleader; Tom the football player. They married a year after Brandi graduated from high school and had dreams of starting a family, watching them grow and living happily ever after. A couple of years into their marriage they had a son, Troy, then two years later, a lovely daughter, Kaci, was born. They soon were told that Kaci had a life-threatening condition called lissencephaly. Lissencephaly literally means “smooth brain.” This is a rare, gene-linked brain malformation characterized by the lack of “folds” in the brain. Many children can survive up to about age 10 but do not progress in their development beyond age 3-5 months. Kaci’s diagnosis changed Tom and Brandi’s plans for their lives. Tom had always wanted to go into law enforcement. He spent some time on the Pratt, Kansas, police force living his dream and providing for his family. Brandi attended college seeking a degree in business and accounting. After Kaci’s birth, Brandi devoted 100 percent of her time caring for her children. Brandi learned everything she could about Kaci’s condition, care and prognosis. During hospital stays, Brandi attended to her and even learned procedures so she could care for her at home. Because of the large medical bills, Tom quit his law enforcement job and took a job that allowed him to get better health insurance. Brandi was encouraged to think about a career in nursing. She would say, “I don’t think I could care for someone else.” In the meantime, Tom had a revelation. Prayer and reliance on God were mainstays in their lives. Tom decided to go into ministry as a local pastor in the United Methodist denomination. This necessitated him going to school for several years. Life seemed to keep challenging the Reazins. Kaci’s condition declined. She had more hospital stays. After one of these, their house caught on fire. Tom’s athletic ability helped him get everyone out of the house. He saved Kaci’s special wheelchair and her oxygen tanks. They lost almost everything else. Brandi was finally convinced to seek a career in the medical field. She knew she would need something in her days after Kaci. She started her CNA certification in 2014 and set her sights on becoming an LPN. Kaci’s condition worsened and Brandi put the LPN degree on hold. In October, 2015, Kaci passed away at the age of 9. With Brandi’s return to school, Chapter C, Lyons, Kansas, recommended her for a P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education (PCE) grant. Brandi graduated as an LPN in July, 2017. Brandi is thankful for her PCE grant. She spoke about her journey at the 2018 Kansas State Convention, even though it terrified her. After working at the local hospital, she is presently the school nurse in Lyons and helped the school district navigate the COVID-19 pandemic. Tom is a minister in Ellinwood and Salem, Kansas. Tom and Brandi’s love for Kaci spurred them on to adopt two siblings. Caleb and Lizzie became Reazins in 2019. Five years after losing Kaci, Brandi reflected on her past. “To say I would change this path that we’ve had would be denying myself and our family opportunities to love and be shown love. It hasn’t always been easy and I miss Kaci more than I ever knew possible. But I also love who we are now and the family God has blessed us with. It’s hard to put into words how you can miss someone so bad it hurts and be thankful for that path at the same time.”
To
and Be Shown
by Debbie Dumler, Chair, P.E.O. Program for Continuing Education Board of Trustees
33
January–February 2022 | THE P.E.O. RECORD
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