My Never Quit Story
Dear,
Team Never Quit
I listen to your podcast weekly and I have some Team Never Quit gear that turns people’s heads as I walk by.
I was a perfectly normal kid up until four years old. Then boom I fell to the ground. My parents originally thought I was a clumsy kid. A week later, I fell again, and my parents took me to the hospital. This is where the doctor delivered the news that changed the projectile of my life. The doctor said I had epilepsy. For people that don’t know much about epilepsy it is where nerve cell activity in the brain is interrupted, which in return causes an abnormality in the brain wiring of a person. Having abnormal brain activity causes convulsions, muscle spasms, and loss of consciousness. There are around 1.3 million people in the United States that have epilepsy and epilepsy is the 4th most common neurological problem.
Now I headed into the battle of a lifetime. Doctors said it would be a 1 in 1 million shot that I would find a medicine that would work to treat my specific type of seizures. My type was called grand-mal seizures. They would last 10 to 20 seconds and I would lose consciousness. Some days I would have upwards of 100 seizures a day. In preschool, I had to wear a foam helmet to school in case I had a seizure.
Luckily for me, I had an awesome team of fighters that would not settle for me being drugged up in life. My team consisted of my dad, momma, sister, Dr. Wyshynski (neurologist) and the world’s best nanny, Eileen.
Despite all odds and hitting dead ends with many other treatments, we ended up finding a drug that works called Topamax. I took it three times a day and at eight years old I became medication free.
I still had an uphill battle in overcoming many learning disabilities, but I decided to focus in and propel myself in my abilities. People doubted that I could join the United States Marine Corps, but I did and went on to serve two tours in Afghanistan, each lasting seven months. I received a combat action ribbon for a fire-fight in Kajaki. I left the Marine Corps as a Sergeant. Then I went on to run two Boston marathons, five Marine Corps Marathons and complete two 100 milers, one of them under twenty-four hours and a GoRuck Heavy.
“I will never give in or give up for I know God has worked too hard in creating me for much, much more, than to stare at my setbacks for they have become my comebacks”-Sam Brandt
I give God all the glory in my success it’s because of Him I am where I am!

Sincerely your Team Never Quit teammate,
Sam Brandt