GBM Since September 2022

My brother Ben had a very bad seizure where he passed out on interstate 385, doing 70mph, and ran off the interstate over a railroad tracks and ran over numerous trees and finally stopped at a bigger one. When he came to, he had a huge concussion, broke his nose, dislocated hip, broke numerous of bones and fractures. They did an MRI and thought he had a brain bleed.

After further research, they discovered he had a tumor so they did the surgery a few weeks later and removed most of the tumor and discovered is was a glioblastoma tumor. The first surgery took place I believe in October or November, and he did radiation and chemotherapy for weeks on which didn’t help and then they did another mri which was around February or March and another tumor came came so he had his second surgery which was in May to remove 95% of the tumor which was below the other one near the same spot.

A few weeks ago, we almost lost him because of a really bad seizure because of swelling and an infection in his brain so they did another surgery to remove part of his skull. He had to bring this IV that ran towards his heart to keep pumping antibiotics and steroids for swelling. After the third surgery, he was having problems of his chest hurting and the IV leaking so he’s back in the hospital and hopefully gets to come home on Independence Day which is today. But he’s a fighter and the strongest person I know, and he’s not giving up. 

The doctor basically said that he will die from this. If it came back, it was too risky to do a second surgery so I ask for help, and I ask for prayers. I know he’s going to Duke University to try to start some kind of testing for treatment for this type of cancer, and I’m here to fight for more research and to help my brother and to fight for all of those that are suffering through the same thing. So please help.

This story may be missing some pieces here and there, but the major pieces are correct. I do not want to lose my brother. If I lost him, I’d lose everything and I’ve watched stories of people that have lost love ones, and it breaks my heart because I just don’t want to do something for my brother, I want to do EVERYTHING for all of those that has this disease and I’m willing to do whatever it takes for change. Please listen to our story and please let me know what I can do to help and make changes for all those with GBM.

TAGGED WITH: #GBMDay

Opinions expressed within this story belong solely to the author and do not reflect the views or opinions of the National Brain Tumor Society.