We Gave It Our All

In 1977, my mom was diagnosed with a large tumor wrapped around the main artery of her brain. She had surgery, and in spite of the odds, she survived. To this day, the memories of that time as so etched in my brain, it could have been last year. She is now 90 years old, and even though she has developed more tumors, the Mayo Clinic monitors them, and she is doing well.

I wish my brother’s story could have been as successful. He was diagnosed with glioblastoma five years ago, and, as expected, despite our great efforts, he passed away two years after diagnosis. His neuro-oncologist never gave us false hope and was very supportive of any decisions he made. We were so hopeful that we could beat the cancer and so wish his story could have been one of hope for others, but the cancer was more powerful than the treatment could battle. Our whole family will miss him for the rest of our lives.

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