Loving assist
Ready’s Bramwell, mom lean on each other in special relationship
Following an awkward pause, Ready basketball standout Derricka Bramwell and her mother, Shirlie Bramwell, made eye contact and tactfully tagteamed a sensitive question.
How will the Bramwells — who have been inseparable since Shirlie suffered a debilitating health setback some 6½ years ago — manage to cope when Derricka heads off to college next fall?
“Being apart will be a challenge for us for sure, but we’ll get through it,” said Derricka, who is still weighing in- and out-of-state college options. “I’m sure we’ll communicate every day. If something happens that she can’t take care of herself, she has other family around and lots of support from our friends at the church (The Father’s House in Canal Winchester). Things will work out.”
The prospect of living alone without the aid of her devoted daughter doesn’t seem to faze Shirlie, 53, who works from home as a customerservice agent for Aetna Insurance and gets around with the aid of a wheelchair or motorized scooter. They live in a one-story home on the West Side just down the street from Ready.
“I’m a big believer that things happen for a reason,” she said. “Slowly but surely, I’ve been regaining my independence. I can get along fine. As much as I love having Derricka around, deep down I feel a little guilty that she hasn’t been able to just be a teenager. I want her to go out and experience life and new adventures.”
In September 2012, Shirlie complained of back pain and subsequently lost all feeling in her feet. A barrage of tests at Ohio State University’s Wexner Medical Center and the Cleveland Clinic finally confirmed that she was afflicted with vasculitis. In short, her body’s immune system attacked her own blood vessels and nervous system.
Shirlie spent a total of seven weeks in the hospital and a rehabilitation center. In 2016, she endured more neurological complications that required hospitalization.
She inherited the role as sole caregiver of her mother, but Derricka brushed aside any suggestion that her teenage years were compromised.
“I like to hang around home and chill, anyway,” the 17-yearold said. “Some days after I get home from practice, I go to the grocery store, fix dinner, do laundry … stuff like that. Mom’s not an invalid. She pretty much takes care of herself.”
Joe Lang, who is in his 38th season as Ready girls basketball coach, said the relationship between Derricka and her mother is nothing short of inspiring.
“The two things about Derricka that stand out are her unbelievable loyalty to her mom and her dedication to her faith and church,” Lang said. “That’s just her nature. She cares so much about helping people in general. She works as a church usher, works at a food pantry. Derricka is kind of a quiet kid and she shrugs it all off like it’s nothing. But all of us at Ready know better.”
Already a fixture at her daughter’s events, Shirlie three seasons ago volunteered to serve as the team’s scorekeeper for road games.
“I had to Google how to do it, but coach Lang was all in favor of me being there to support the girls,” Shirlie said. “All the schools make arrangements to pull my chair up and squeeze me in at the scorer’s table. I’m happy to help. I’m going to be there anyway.”
Lang said he admires Shirlie’s determination and dedication to her daughter.
“She does not want to burden others, and for the most part she’s very independent,” he said. “She’s all-in on Derricka’s future and isn’t going to let her own disability get in the way of that.”
One of Derricka’s teammates and closest friends, senior Ariyhana Marshall, said the Bramwells complement each other well.
“They’re never too far apart,” Marshall said. “They’re super close. Everybody knows that. I think they motivate each other. Derricka really admires her mom for overcoming her disabilities and never complaining about it. Being close to Derricka and our team is really beneficial to Mrs. Bramwell, too. She’s part of our Ready family.”
Derricka, who plans to major in childhood education, is thriving in the classroom and on the court. The 5-foot-9 forward/ center is averaging 16.3 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 54 percent from the field. Although she has played since kindergarten, Derricka’s game improved dramatically when she began playing on an AAU team before her freshman year at Ready.
She also was a district-champion shot putter for the track team last spring, missing the state meet by one spot.
“As much as her mom depends on Derricka, so does our team,” Lang said. “She’s basically our only offensive threat and she gets doubleand triple-teamed every game. Her success came mostly because of how hard she works.
“She’s the epitome of a coach’s player. She does everything you ask of her without ever complaining about it. That whole attitude carries over to her relationship with her mom.”