My Life is Perfect

My dad Jim Emerson was diagnosed with glioblastoma in September 2020 after having a seizure while on a conference call at age 56.

My dad was in the prime of his life. He volunteered weekly for Habitat for Humanity, and he would go sailing and kayaking. He loved working with his hands. At the time of his diagnosis, he was single-handedly making a new bathroom for him and my mom. Everything came to a grinding halt that September. He had an emergency awake craniotomy and was diagnosed with GBM. 

The doctor told my mom to “start making arrangements because he’ll be dead by Christmas.” But he wasn’t. He fought valiantly for 27 months after diagnosis. He went through bouts of chemotherapy, radiation, and even a second awake craniotomy. Not once did my dad ever say, “Why me?” He always took one day at a time.

I titled this post “My Life Is Perfect” because he kept a journal for friends and family to keep them updated on his journey. The last thing he wrote before losing his battle on January 2, 2023, was, “I’m still a fighter, but now is my time to not fight. Because I have learned my life has been stronger, my love has grown deeper, and I know now my life has been complete and perfect.”

Jim Emerson: March 17, 1964 – January 2, 2023

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.