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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, October 14, 2011 · 16 Team Brother Bear delivers legacy for Austin By Nathan Howes OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF After three years, the pain of losing their child is still a fresh wound in the hearts and minds of the Brasil family. Austin passed away at the age of 17 in 2008 from an inoperable brain tumour. For more than four years, he endured chemotherapy, radiation, hospitalizations, surgeries, and drug trials. Shortly before he died, Austin wanted to raise awareness in the community and funds for research so other children who were battling brain tumours wouldn't have to go through what he had to. That's when Team Brother Bear (TBB) was born. "When he started Team Brother Bear he knew he probably would never benefit from it and shortly after the very first fundraiser he did at his school, we realized that he just embarked and started something (that) was really important to him," said Austin's mother, Kimberley. "He deserved a legacy and we created Team Brother Bear to move that legacy forward and carry on for him when he no longer could." And that's what they're doing. The organization is hosting its fourth annual gala tonight in Oakville to raise funds and awareness for children with brain tumours. The evening's festivities include dinner, entertainment, dancing and a silent auction. TBB supports the objectives of b.r.a.i.n.child through Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children that assists patients, their families and friends through education and shared experiences. It educates on the importance of early detection and the special needs of children with tumours, and seeks funding for research into the causes, treatment and cure. Austin's passing makes it difficult for the family to carry on with Team Brother Bear, but it is very important they do, Kimberley said. "One of the things you deal with in that loss is that you're no longer able to do anything for them and it leaves a huge void because we were a huge support system and we've all lost that piece of ourselves," said Kimberley. "For us to be able to carry on and do this for him, it gives us such purpose and such pride. On those really tough days when you're grieving, you can't help but smile, knowing what's come out of it." Kimberley said Austin was an incredibly compassionate, sympathetic, loving and hilarious child, with an incredible spirit that filled the room when he entered it. "He was a beautiful little soul and I felt blessed to have him for 17 years; he really enriched every life he touched. People never forgot him. He was a great human being, an all-around great human being," said Kimberley. "He wanted to be a comedian when he grew up. He was heavily interested in politics. I always thought he would make a great politician because he would connect with people." Recently, TBB was honoured with a plaque on its partners' wall in the atrium at SickKids hospital for donating $100,000 to the fund since its inception, she said. The organization has two funds, one is a research fund, which they contribute to in honour of Austin's wishes to raise money for research, she said. The other is a family fund, which is another aspect of what Austin really wanted to address in his journey. "He realized that there were a lot of families that struggled, not just with the emotional aspect of having a sick child, but with the financial impact of that as well on the entire family," said Kimberley. "The fund has been known to fly in grandparents to be with palliative children in their final days (and) has provided families struggling to make their rent payment or to cover their gas bill because they've had a long hospitalization." For the last two years, TBB has held a holiday mission close to Christmas that takes care of three families during the holiday season, Kimberley said. "We provide everything that they have asked for. If they (need) food, groceries, vouchers for restaurants in the neighbourhood of the hospital, we get the wish list of the child that's diagnosed for their Christmas present as well as their siblings," said Kimberley. Last year's mission inspired others at the hospital and foundation to contribute, resulting in an additional 59 families having their See Team page 19 WARM UP TO A MODERN FIREPLACE "MASONRY & FIREPLACE DESIGN SPECIALISTS" www.cobblestonembers.ca ACROSS FROM RONA LANSING 406 SPEERS RD., OAKVILLE 905-337-2066