Inset: Reese Bryan (GoFundMe). Background: The Nebraska cheerleading facility being sued by Reese Bryan’s parents for negligence and allegedly contributing to her death from a brain bleed (Google Maps).
An 8-year-old cheerleader in Nebraska died from a massive brain bleed after being forced to perform flips, handsprings and tumbling by her cheer coaches despite having a known neurological condition, her family says. To make matters worse, the girl’s pediatrician also allegedly refused to order imaging scans despite her having numerous symptoms of a brain tumor.
“Dr. Vanderbur considered imaging but decided against it,” Reese Bryan’s parents allege in a lawsuit obtained by Law&Crime.
“Reese’s underlying tumor of pilocytic astrocytoma went undiagnosed and, most importantly, untreated,” the parents’ legal complaint says. “The tumor … was highly treatable if properly diagnosed. As a proximate result of Dr. Vanderbur’s violation of the applicable standards of care, Reese suffered: Bleeding of her tumor, internal cranial pressure from the bleeding in her brain … Aggravation and worsening of her then existing neurological condition; death on Feb. 23, 2024.”
Reese was a member of the Elite Cheer team in Omaha at the time of her death, according to her parents’ complaint, which names the team and employees — including Reese’s coach and the co-owner — as defendants.
The young girl had an “existing neurological condition,” and Elite Cheer “knew from recent past experience” that she had experienced numerous symptoms, including vomiting, while performing at a competition in Kansas City weeks before her death.
Cheer leaders had been advised that Reese vomiting or displaying symptoms during physical activities “constitutes a need to have her transported on an emergency basis to a hospital,” per the complaint.
On Jan. 29, 2024, Reese reported feeling “dizzy, imbalanced, unable to stand, unable to walk” and “unable to hear” with asymmetric facial features reminiscent of a stroke, her parents say. This was allegedly nine days after the Kansas City incident.
“The left side of her face was drooping,” Amanda Bryan, Reese’s mom, told local ABC affiliate KETV in an interview this week. “She was slurring her words. She couldn’t stand up. She was shaking uncontrollably. She was cold.”
According to the complaint, employees at Elite Cheer did nothing to help Reese after she collapsed at their facility in Omaha and instead “abandoned” her while she “suffered” in front of them.
“Despite all these symptoms, [Reese] was left alone, isolated and concealed behind mats,” the complaint alleges, noting how her classmates were told by Elite Cheer personnel to not approach her as she experienced a massive brain bleed, according to the court document.
“[Reese] suffered as the minutes passed by ongoing and growingly irreversible neurological insult as a result of her brain bleeding,” the complaint says. “[Reese] sustained progressively worse neurological damage as she lay alone, eyes shut … and unable to move on Elite Cheer’s mat.”
The complaint says that “no one called 911” and “no one called Reese’s family members.” Reese’s mother says it wasn’t until she arrived to pick her up that she was told about what happened in text messages “from one of the owners” as she was “pulling into the parking lot.”
Amanda Bryan told KETV, “Had you seen what I walked into, anyone in their right mind would have looked at our child and knew she needed help, and she needed it now.”
Reese was rushed to a local hospital by her mom, where she stayed for three weeks before her death on Feb. 23, 2024.
After the Kansas City incident, Reese’s parents say they took her to the girl’s pediatrician, Dr. Lars E. Vanderbur, as she suffered from symptoms of “dizziness, horizontal nystagmus, ptosis on the right eye, and tested positive for strep throat,” per the complaint. Reese was given antibiotics, but her symptoms allegedly continued.
Reese’s dad took her to Vanderbur again days later and he made a diagnosis of ‘post-infection fatigue’ and did not refer Reese for any further follow-up, according to the complaint. He allegedly refused to perform cranial imaging scans that could have detected neurological abnormalities and chose against sending Reese to a pediatric neurologist, despite “all these symptoms,” the complaint says.
“She was never ordered an MRI, CAT scan, nothing,” Amanda Bryan told KETV.
Reese’s parents allege that she died due to medical malpractice and negligence by Elite Cheer, its employees, and Vanderbur. They have requested a jury trial.
The defendants did not respond to Law&Crime’s requests for comment on Tuesday.
