If you’ve lived a little longer than 22, and there’s something you think everyone should get to experience once, you can leave advice in the form below or send a donation to my Venmo @marleyholt or Zelle (832) 696-7961.
Today is February 2nd, 2026. It’s 5:07pm in Brooklyn, New York as I type this. I am 33 years old, driving across the country to be with my family in Reno, Nevada. A couple hours ago, my Mom called me with the worst news.
My little brother, Anson, has a brain tumor called “Diffuse Midline Glioma.” He has a year left to live. My brother is 22. He was starting to have terrible, vomit-inducing headaches—this is how he ended up in the ER for an initial CAT scan three weeks ago. They found a 4cm mass deep in his brain. Surgery was promptly scheduled for removal, but the morning of, the surgeon had a change of strategy due to the tumor’s risky location.
The new strategy was to do a biopsy for pathology and add a shunt to help with the swelling while we wait for the biopsy results. This change of strategy was frustrating; we just wanted this sucker removed and life could continue business as usual. As my brother was taken into the OR for the biopsy, the surgeon wanted to play music. “What’s your favorite music? What was the last concert you went to?” the surgeon had asked my brother. “I don’t know, I’ve never been to a concert,” he replied. Hearing this was gutting for me; a reminder of his youth and all the things he has yet to experience out of life. His high school years were spent remote during Covid. I don’t think he’s even ever been in love yet.
When my mom called me three weeks ago to inform me my brother was in the ICU, I dropped everything I was doing in that moment and booked a flight. I didn’t even pack a bag. I spent the next 8 hours crying over the fear of the unknown in a stupid middle seat next to strangers. The following week, my brother was discharged, and I flew back to New York while we waited for the pathology results, with a meeting set to review on February 2nd. That was this morning. Now I’ve packed a bag this time, and my dog, and am headed to Reno. Our grandma is helping me make this drive so I am not alone during this time.
I’m in shock as I type this, using my adrenaline and professional skills to spin up this stupid website. I don’t have a plan yet, I just know I want my brother to experience life a little more.
If you’ve lived a little longer than 22, and there’s something you think everyone should get to experience once, you can leave advice below or send a donation to my Venmo @marleyholt or Zelle (832) 696-7961.
From a concerned big sis,
Marley Holt
P.S. I love you Anson.