Mets hosting LI boy who had brain tumor
Brendan Sullivan, 13, survived brain surgery last December. He will be honored by the Mets at Saturday's game at Citi Field. (July 1, 2011) Credit: Danielle Finkelstein
For 13-year-old Mets fan Brendan Sullivan of Sea Cliff, Saturday will be a memorable day.
Brendan will be at Citi Field, as a special guest of his favorite team, to see them play the Yankees. The young teen had surgery to remove a brain tumor in December, and several members of the Mets visited him in the hospital.
Brendan received his invitation directly from Mets manager Terry Collins, who called him at home in mid-June.
"I was surprised that he called. He told me good luck, feel better and that he'd see me at the park," said Brendan, who admitted he couldn't keep the news to himself.
"I went out and told everyone," the teen said.
Brendan's tale began with a head injury from a fall to the ice in a travel league hockey game in February 2009, according to his father, Mike Sullivan. "He got a concussion and we were keeping an eye on it," he said.
Because of his concussion, Brendan underwent a precautionary head exam as part of a routine physical last November. It revealed something startling. "They found a brain tumor," Mike Sullivan said. "It was the day before Thanksgiving."
The surgery was performed in early December at the Cohen Children's Medical Center, part of the Long Island Jewish Medical Center in New Hyde Park.
"Brendan had a tumor of the cerebellum and we took it out completely," said Dr. Steven Schneider, who performed the surgery. "His scans showed a complete removal and the prognosis is excellent."
Shortly after surgery, word spread around the hospital that several Mets were visiting and would be glad to meet patients.
"I was excited. I was happy they were there," Brendan said of meeting Collins, outfielder Jason Bay and first baseman Ike Davis. "But I don't really remember what they said."
Said Brendan's dad, "He was still out of it. It was about a half-hour after surgery. We had to take him in a wheelchair."
But the Mets kept tabs on Brendan and followed up with the invitation to Citi Field.
Brendan, after taking about three months off from sports and missing the rest of his ice hockey season, is back in action.
"I told the family that he can return to a normal schedule of activities and play his contact sports," Schneider said.
Brendan said he's playing in a summer baseball league -- as a centerfielder -- and is thrilled to get the chance to see his favorite player, shortstop Jose Reyes, play against the Yankees on Saturday.
