The following is my interpretation of what Brian Littrell went through, emotionally and physically, when he experienced open heart surgery on May 8, 1998. I will take you from the time Brian was diagnosed through the end of their tour in 1998. I became interested in doing a short story about Brian's heart condition as I am a big fan of his and have always been intrigued by what he must have endured since he was little and it was discovered that he had a heart defect. I have also read several pieces of fan fiction which addressed Brian's heart problem/ heart surgery and have found that many people who do not know someone personally who has experienced open heart surgery do not fully understand the emotional and physical hell that patients go through, even though it is considered a simple procedure now. I have read several articles, many by people who have been through open heart surgery and have incorporated my research into this story.
Although I have read and seen many articles by the guys regarding Brian's surgery, I must say that I have never met any of the Backstreet Boys, nor have I talked with anyone who has met them. Therefore, information that I did not know, I used my imagination. I have tried to make this story as realistic as possible, so if you see anything I have written which you know to be untrue (i.e. you've read an article or seen an interview that I didn't), please let me know and I'll be happy to make changes. Because I am trying to make this as realistic as possible, I am including Leighanne in this story as I feel that she was and is a big part of his life and that she has really supported him through rough times.
This story centers around Brian, so if you are not a big Brian fan, you may find this boring (and even if you are a big Brian fan, you may find that this story doesn't interest you); I wrote this story for my personal satisfaction. However, please e-mail your comments, both positive and negative to me and I'll be happy to listen. I hope you enjoy.
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