Bradlee Green was the youngest of four children, and the only girl. Lindsey remembers the moment she found out she was pregnant with a daughter. “We wanted a girl. And so… it was perfect. She was perfect.” Bradlee was such a ray of sunshine mixed with a lot of laughter and a little bit of sass. Her bright red hair and blue eyes made her such a unique beauty.
If there was only one thing Lindsey could tell people about her daughter Bradlee, it would be how much joy she brought to everyone she met. “She was such a bright light… I’m not kidding you when I say we got stopped everywhere.” Even photos capture Bradlee’s contagious smile.
Throughout Lindsey’s pregnancy, she felt as if something was off. “I knew something was wrong. I just felt it.” When Bradlee was born, Lindsey recalls asking, “Is she okay? Is she okay?’” However, Bradlee seemed to be a completely healthy newborn. When she turned a year old, however, the doctor noticed Bradlee stopped growing.
After visiting two pediatricians, a genetic team, a number of different specialists, countless x-rays and bloodwork, they were still searching for answers. “Bradlee never fought any of the appointments we had to go to,” Lindsey recalls. “She was always such a trooper.”
In addition to all of Bradlee’s specialists, Lindsey juggled occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech, and eye doctor appointments. Bradlee had poor vision and a blocked tear duct. Lindsey remembers letting Bradlee choose her own glasses. “I really wanted the red ones, but I [thought], ‘I’m gonna let her do her thing… and she grabbed the purple ones.” Her walker was purple too. “I just feel like purple was her color,” Lindsey shares. Bradlee had her own style. Mermaid pants became non-negotiable. If she wore them yesterday, she would wear them again today. Bradlee was always cruising down their hallway with her purple walker, purple glasses, and of course, the mermaid pants.
After Bradlee had surgery to help with her blocked tear duct, the Green family met with a neurologist. Lindsey explains, “It wasn’t until we saw neuro in November, the doctor picked up that it was a mitochondrial disease.” Bradlee was referred to a mitochondrial specialist, but the earliest appointment wasn’t for months.
In February, Dr. Zedah from the genetic center called Lindsey and her husband Brandon, Bradlee’s dad. Bradlee had a gene mutation called Surf-1. Her appointment with a mitochondrial specialist was immediately moved up to two weeks later. Bradlee had been diagnosed with Leigh syndrome. The Greens learned Bradlee had a life expectancy between two to three years, and there is no treatment or cure. They immediately knew time was against them, and moved up their trip to Disneyland, family photos, and many other things. Bradlee’s metabolic team even invited them to a Live Like JoJo event, a petting zoo family experience.
Originally, the Greens planned on taking Bradlee to Disneyland for her 3rd birthday. “But… I think we went in March, like, right away,” Lindsey recalls. She curated every moment. Lindsey made sure each family member had time with Bradlee. “She went on rides with her dad, brothers, my mother-in-law, or Geeg and of course me, too.”
Lindsey thinks back to those moments, and advises other Leigh families to “take so many pictures, because that’s all we have [now].”
Lindsey wanted to make sure she had professional family photos taken, making Bradlee the main focus. Bradlee loved her older brothers and they had such a special bond. “They were inseparable, and we got to capture all the love as a family one last time.”
Unfortunately, 16 days after Bradlee took those family photos, they found themselves in the hospital. Lindsey and Brandon were not sure if they were going to be able to bring their little girl home. After spending over a week there, Bradlee’s final day on earth arrived. Bradlee made her way to heaven on June 20, 2023, at two years old.
Lindsey recalls not packing Bradlee’s favorite outfit or toy. They had only a random outfit, some toys for her to keep, and a blanket she had been sleeping with for the last few days. The morning of Bradlee’s passing, a nurse offered Lindsey and Brandon a blanket with a cute sea turtle stitched in the corner. It was from the Live Like JoJo foundation. Lindsey calls it “truly a blessing” and felt it was made for Bradlee. Afterall, she loved Moana and all sea creatures, especially the sea turtle. Lindsey and Brandon wrapped Bradlee in this soft blanket and held her for the last time. Lindsey says she finds comfort in knowing Bradlee brought that blanket with her to heaven.
Two days after Bradlee passed, Lindsey received an email from Monica, the founder of the Live Like Jojo Foundation. She reached out to say how excited she was to meet Bradlee at their upcoming petting zoo event. Lindsey’s heart dropped. But when she saw the turtle logo on Monica’s email signature, she froze. “That’s the turtle [on the blanket] that they gave [Bradlee at the hospital].”
After hearing the news of Bradlee’s passing, Monica let Lindsey know that her invitation stood, and could be a step of healing for their family. Lindsey says, “We could not have asked for a more beautiful day to create such wonderful moments together after devastating days of hardship and loss. One of the highlights of the day was Monica handing me a box with the same blanket that Bradlee took with her to heaven.”
The Green family believes that Bradlee is still around. “We think she’s a butterfly,” Lindsey says. When butterflies appear, it feels like Bradlee is still visiting, still sending love. And on the hardest days, she believes Bradlee sends rainbows too, gentle reminders “to give myself some grace… and just kind of breathe.”
Lindsey and her husband knew that their family was not done growing, so they decided to turn to IVF. “The timing still feels impossible to explain,” Lindsey says. Everything moved faster than the doctors had predicted, and suddenly she was pregnant: another girl. Jayda was born on June 20, 2025, the same day Bradlee passed away (or what the Greens lovingly call “Bradlee’s Angel Day.”)
Lindsey explains, “It’s crazy how it all lined up. I feel like Bradlee definitely sent us an angel on her angel day.” In the middle of grief, Lindsey believes Bradlee found a way to bring her family light again.
To Lindsey, Jayda carries a piece of her big sister. “She’s got her smile,” she says. “That’s the one thing I love most… it’s like [Bradlee] gave me that.”
Today, Lindsey hosts a yearly walk in Bradlee’s honor and splits the proceeds between Cure Mito and Live Like JoJo foundations. She incorporates butterflies into their graphics. “We also make Bradlee stickers,” complete with purple glasses and a mermaid tail. “Kind of like a flat Stanley. People usually put her on their water bottles and send us pictures of where she has gone. It’s pretty cool.” Bradlee’s adventures continue through the people who know her story.
Lindsey tells newly diagnosed families not to forget to take a breath, cherish every moment (good or bad), and always remember their light. And above all, she remembers Bradlee’s light. “She was amazing.” And she is still very much with them.
