Director's Notes
If He Brings You To It manifested from a personal sense of helplessness and moral outrage directed toward my home community during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents of Colby, despite witnessing the devastation of the pandemic around the country, actively resisted efforts by public health officials to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in the name of rights, freedoms, and individual liberties. Community members became particularly hostile toward each other and public health officials over social media, some going so far as sending death threats to the community’s public health officer.
As an immunocompromised individual, I sought connections with other residents with the same concerns for public health and eventually connected with LeAnn, who was advocating for elevated COVID-19 precautions in schools, over Facebook.
After many conversations with LeAnn, I decided that If He Brings You To It should be a window into the lives of the Ostmeyers', as well as an homage their love, compassion, and resilience in the face of the seemingly impossible challenges of childhood cancer and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Participants
LeAnn Ostmeyer is a dedicated mother, wife, and caregiver, living in the rural community of Colby, Kansas. LeAnn is currently raising four children under the age of 7 and is an educator by trade. LeAnn’s Catholic faith guides her as she navigates her son, Brennen’s, cancer treatment and ongoing diagnoses.
Brennen Ostmeyer is a vibrant, curious, and resilient 7-year-old who enjoys playing outside, roughhousing with his brother, and building Lego sets. Brennen is currently undergoing his fourth year of chemotherapy in his battle with rhabdomyosarcoma, a form of soft tissue cancer.
