Studio K seeks help for Sammy

Seeing other children running and playing and laughing breaks Stephanie Brown’s heart.

That was her daughter little more than a month ago, before 2-year-old Sammy Brown was diagnosed with leukemia. Since then, Sammy has spent much of the time in the hospital undergoing treatment.

The Brown family was featured on the front page of The Spokesman-Review earlier this month because of their unusual situation. Four days after Sammy Brown was admitted to Sacred Heart Medical Center to treat her cancer, Stephanie Brown gave birth there to a baby girl, Sayler. The family spent a couple of weeks together living in Sammy’s hospital room.

They returned home for a few days, but late last week Sammy was readmitted to Sacred Heart with an infection.

The little girl has lost her hair and her cheeks are puffed from steroids. She doesn’t have the energy to race around the house anymore, her mom says.

“My daughter has cancer and there ain’t nothing I can do about it,” she says.

“It’s weird how your child used to run around nonstop and now all they want to do is watch shows and eat.”

Stephanie and her husband, Andrew Brown, have had to take time off work to be with their daughter, and medical bills continue to add up. So, a benefit for the family will be held at Studio K Bar and Grill, 2810 E. 29th Ave., this Sunday.

The Browns’ extended family is known around Studio K because several of them like to sing karaoke, manager Susie VanderGaag says.

“We just really love these people, and this little girl just breaks everybody’s heart,” VanderGaag says.