Jeff Darragh’s Life

I will be wearing gray in May to bring about awareness of my husband’s tragic encounter with glioblastoma.

My husband’s brain tumor and the following diagnosis of glioblastoma came as a complete surprise as there were little to no symptoms whatsoever. One day, my husband just said he couldn’t type what he was trying to say in an email. The next day, he forgot a few words in a sentence, and his business partner called me, his wife, and told me to take him to the ER that he might be having a stroke. They did the CT scan, and an hour later, our lives changed forever.

They rushed him to surgery with no time for us to even consider our options because this type of cancer is so aggressive. I watched my husband face the horrible prognosis that he had 3 to 6 to maybe 12 months to live.

Jeff was an amazing, creative, and dynamic business leader, entrepreneur, father, husband, and recently new grandfather. At 59, he was starting to enjoy the fruits of all his hard work and labor, so hearing this news was devastating. And then, just one year later, his life was cut short.

Thankfully, he was able to witness three of his young grandchildren being born that year. His heart was changed, and he saw life in a new perspective. His faith grew, and all who knew him came out in droves to tell him that no matter what happened, he should know that he had changed their lives in one way or another.

Glioblastoma is a vicious and cruel disease, and must have more research behind its cures and causes. I would do anything to be part of the research process.

TAGGED WITH: glioblastoma, #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.