November 2002 my husband and I were in Laval visiting my parents before they left for their winter home in Largo Florida. While Bernie, my mom, was in a store my Dad turned around and said: “ I have a brain tumour.” As the proverbial saying goes: “ You could hear a pin drop” as my husband and I stared at each other. Finally, I said: “ Dad, is this your diagnosis or a doctor’s?” “ Mine,” he said, “ because they don’t believe me.” Well, Dad was right. He actually had 3 brain tumours and he had literally never been sick a day in his life. He was 78 and was gone within six months.
2017 I was meeting with a client in my role as a Financial Planner. My personal phone was to the left of my computer and as I turned to use my keyboard I saw that I had a message. I never interrupted a client meeting for personal messages but as I began typing I noticed that the message was from a friend and said: “ I’m in the hall at the Ottawa Hospital awaiting surgery for a brain tumour.” Again, my world stopped briefly. This was a friend of over 40 years who I had met on our first day of university ( we were both lost.) She actually had three brain tumours which fortunately were all benign but her recovery has been long. She wa 66.
October 2021 a friend of mine posted her daughter’s story ( with the daughter’s permission.) Six months previously her daughter had been diagnosed with Stage 3 Brain Cancer. She has gone through surgery, radiation, chemo and steroids. She is still fighting and is an amazing person who had become a great friend. She just turned 27.
In September 2022 a woman I know lost her son to brain cancer. He was 3.
Thirty years ago my sister-in-law had a brain mass which fortunately was successfully removed by surgery. She was 54.
We have a young lady in our small town who was 9 when she was first diagnosed with brain cancer. She has endured many years of treatments and last year at 28 she was married. She is quite the fighter but he has long term affects that have limited her quality of life.
I live in a small town with a population of approximately 8500 and I personally know five people and families who have been affected by brain cancer and tumours. Unfortunately, this is only a drop in the bucket. New brain tumours are diagnosed in 50,000 Canadians annually (about 27 people per day.) Brain cancer is the biggest cancer killer of adults under 40 but it received only 3% of the funding for cancer research.
WHY AM I DOING THIS RUN FOR BRAIN CANCER AND TUMOURS?
Because, fortunately I can. My goal is that together we can raise awareness and funds for this deadly cause. The event is going to be held locally so I’m hoping people will join me and walk/run/bike whatever distance they want. I also researched Brain Cancer Canada and was pleased that each person there is a volunteer who receives no compensation; therefore, every dollar we raise together will go directly to research.
