'Be A Princess' Event To Help Coventry Cancer Victim

COVENTRY, R.I. — On March 3, children will have the chance to be a princess for a day with makeup, hair, nails and more. But this day isn't just about playing dress-up. All proceeds will go toward helping a very special little girl in her battle with cancer.

The event is to benefit the family of Brynn Tobin, a four-year-old suffering from Anaplastic Ependymoma, a rare and malignant form of brain cancer. Brynn was first diagnosed in February 2017, and after surgery and six weeks of radiation her parents and doctors believed the cancer to be gone.

In October 2018, Brynn became ill during a family trip to Sesame Place in Pennsylvania, and was taken to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. There, her parents' worst fear was confirmed: Brynn's cancer had relapsed to a different part of her brain.

"Brynn is a pretty awesome kid - I might be a little biased - but she’s been through so much in her short life and has faced everything with a courage and kindness beyond her years," said Jessica Tobin, Brynn's mother. "She's such an old soul. Before her surgery she insisted on calling family members - my parents, my husband's parents, aunts and uncles - so they wouldn't be worried about her. She even recorded a video message for her brother since he was asleep at the time she was put under."

At this point, Tobin says doctors have done all they can for Brynn.

"It's really just a matter of buying time for a new breakthrough in treatment or a cure," Tobin said. "There's no protocol at the point for us to follow."

Since the end of her latest round of radiation, Brynn has MRIs performed every three months to check for recurrences. Her next scan will be in two weeks. Doctors believe that another recurrence will occur within a year, and another recurrence is inevitable.

"The long-term survival for her disease is measured in three-year increments, which is really unacceptable considering she's only four years old," Tobin said. "There's a 15 percent chance that she'll make it to the long-term goal."

During each of her radiation treatments - 33 rounds in the first and 28 in the second - Brynn wore a different princess dress.

"She told me that princesses are the bravest people in the world, and she wants to be like them," Tobin said. "She never flinches and she never cries. Everything she does is with grace and courage."

In Brynn's honor, the Rhode Island organization Children's Wishes created Brynn's Closet, a collection of new and gently used costumes for children to wear during cancer treatments. The Tobin family donated many of Brynn's princess dresses to the organization so they could be worn by other children going through similar experiences.

Since the end of the latest round of radiation treatments, Brynn has been eager to return to normalcy, and has gone back to taking dance and karate classes.

"She's really eager to get back to her schedule, and we let her as much as her energy level allows," Tobin said. "If you met her in person, you'd never know she was sick until you saw her scars."

When she is well enough to attend school, Brynn goes to an integrated preschool class at Washington Oak Elementary in Coventry. It was here that she met her best friend, Nola, who is also four years old.

"My daughter had a difficult time transitioning to school," said Meghan Broz, Nola's mom and the organizer of the princess day event. "Once she and Brynn met, it all changed. The two were just drawn to each other. When Brynn was able to come back to school this January, Nola was so happy. They'd just been lost without each other."

The friendship brought Broz closer to the Tobin family, and she began to think of ways to help. In December, she decided to host an event to help raise money for the family's medical expenses.

"Support, visiting, all of that is great, but what's most important is knowing the family can afford to do what needs to be done," Broz said. "That family would move heaven and earth for that little girl. We're hoping to help ease the financial burden."

Tobin says the funds raised will help the family with travel expenses if a clinical trial opens up.

"At this point, a trial would be Brynn's best option, but that could be anywhere in the U.S., and they unfortunately aren't covered by insurance," Tobin said. "You'd do anything to help keep your child alive. This will help us not have to sell our house to be able to afford to be a part of a trial."

In January, Broz had the idea to hold a "princess day" where kids could come and have their hair, makeup and nails done and take photos with actors dressed as Disney characters and superheroes. She was inspired by Brynn's and Nola's love of princesses.

"I thought, what's more important to little girls than princesses? This would be a way for kids to have a really fun day while also helping to raise money," Broz said.

In a very short amount of time, Broz was able to pull together the event. She said she couldn't be more grateful for the outpouring of support from the community.

"This isn't about just the town of Coventry, it's the whole state that's a community," Broz said. "It's been easy to coordinate, because people are so happy to give and do whatever they can to help."

The event will be held March 3 at the PNA Lodge on Meeting Street in Coventry. Four hair stylists, two makeup artists, three nail technicians, face painters and others will all be donating their time to make the day special. Crafts have been provided free of charge by the company Express and Create, and a DJ has donated their services as well. Several corporate sponsors have come forward to pay for overhead and supply costs.

After finishing their makeovers, the kids will have the opportunity to have professional photos taken with actors who specialize in children's birthday parties and events.

For those children not interested in princesses and glitter, superheros will also be at the event, and kids can have their faces painted to match their favorite hero.

Attendees are encouraged to bring cash to the event to enter the variety of raffle baskets being offered. Local companies have generously donated gift certificates, items or funding to help make the raffle baskets possible.

Tickets to the events are $10 each and can be purchased online through PayPal, at the door and at several local businesses. All proceeds of the event will go directly to Brynn and her family.

"We're just hoping to have a good day for the kids and raise as much money as possible," Broz said.

More information about the event can be found on its Facebook event page, and donations can be made to the family directly through a GoFundMe page. You can become a part of #brynnsarmy by following the Facebook page Brynncess The Brave Fights Brain Cancer.

Photo Credit: GoFundMe