Possibilities

The next four years gave witness to one of the most improbable stories in the history of pediatric cancer. Unwilling to accept a hopelessly terminal diagnosis after his first relapse, his parents found the one research institution willing and capable of designing new treatment protocols and therapies to keep him alive until a cure could be identified. For the next four years, Brennan's determination of will inspired his doctors and transformed the hearts of all who witnessed it. This work is a chronicle of near tragedy, spiritual reconciliation, and redemption, presented through the perspective of a devoted father. Possibilities is a brave and true-life story of the fighting spirit of one little boy who overcame daunting medical odds while transforming the lives of others.

“I was inspired by this boy when he was fighting for his life. And I am inspired by him now as he has proven that anything is possible if you believe in it.” - Peyton Manning

"Rarely does one get such an “inside out” view of treatment for an aggressive cancer, with all its attendant trials and tribulations, and how small victories and crushing defeats affect patients and their families. And never before has such a compelling story been told about a child’s battle against cancer, as Mr. Simkins has done in this marvelously insightful story about his son Brennan’s will and determination to conquer childhood AML. His story weaves a fabric from the frequently segregated threads of science and religion, medicine and war, perseverance and desperation. Yet this story is about much more than overcoming cancer, it is about a child’s courage, a family’s fierceness, and a hospital’s will to push the boundaries of contemporary treatment. It is also about the power of human connections, and synergies that emerge when those who are providing the treatment also care deeply about the persons for whom they are caring." - William Evans, CEO of St. Jude Children's Hospital, 2004-2014

"The long ordeal that Brennan Simkins and his family have faced down is off-the-charts extraordinary, yet it is also one of universal resonance. Luckily, Brennan’s father was there to lovingly document every moment. Turner Simkins’ candid, raw account from the medical trenches will sadden and gladden your heart. But mostly it will inspire. In these immensely moving and sometimes soul-wre​n​ching pages, we’re reminded anew of the power of family—and of the miraculous things that can happen when a brave patient embraces life in all its fragile beauty." - Hampton Sides, bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and In the Kingdom of Ice

Turner Simkins began his writing career as a staff writer at the Augusta Herald prior to his freshman year at Washington and Lee University, where he majored in philosophy and minored in English. He claims that "writing is the only inherent trait that has allowed [him] to cultivate a respectable business career," referring to his twenty-five-year professional life and current role as director at both Newfire Media, a digital advertising agency, and Blue Beech, a New Urbanist real estate consulting firm. He lives in North Augusta, South Carolina, with his wife Tara and their three sons. He is a co-founder of, and actively engaged with, the pressonfund.org, which seeks less toxic cures for pediatric acute myeloid leukemia and neuroblastoma.