Drew Patchin, 12, reaches for his brother Tyler Patchin, 8, as they sit together in their living room on Nov. 26, 2025, at their home in St. Louis. Drew and Tyler have always been best friends, going so far as to share a bed each night to be closer to each other.

In 2019, Drew was diagnosed with anaplastic ependymoma, a rare brain cancer. Since then, he has had 20 surgeries. Eleven of those were brain surgeries. He’s had radiation treatments and clinical trials. Despite the treatment, his cancer returned for a fourth time in 2023.