Clear Your Head For Life


Team Fundraising Goal: $50,000.00

Total Number of Gifts: 306
Total Value of Gifts: $37,569.28

Recent Donors

Andrea Barker

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Mark Sherwin

Booster

Booster

Janet Taddeo

Nick Benevento

Mrs. Sylvia Goodman

Becca and Julia Oberdick

Full Donor List Opens new window.Full Donor List

About the National Brain Tumor Society:

National Brain Tumor Society is fiercely committed to finding better treatments, and ultimately a cure, for people living with a brain tumor today and anyone who will be diagnosed tomorrow. This means effecting change in the system at all levels.

We have a rigorous and thoughtful agenda, integrating research and public policy to bridge critical gaps. Starting with discovery science, to clinical trial design and the development of new therapies, there are many opportunities to make improvements and speed the momentum of new findings.

It’s time to build on progress and transform tomorrow, today.

For more information about the National Brain Tumor Society, visit http://www.braintumor.org/.

Return to Community Fundraisers Home Page: www.braintumorcommunity.org/fundraisers

My Story of My Brain Tumor

May 13, 2013, I was diagnosed with grade 3 Brain cancer, that caused massive headaches, sinus issues and speech seizures. After 4 months of dealing with this, I checked into the hospital and this was all discovered. Three days later I was operated on to remove a 2.5 cm brain tumor. I have an amazing life. I have a great and loving family that means everything to me. I have the most supportive friends anyone can want. My career has been beyond successful. I have been successful in my industry for 17 years. I love the people I work with, I love what I do, and mostly I love my clients who have become great friends over the last 17 years. I have the best wife on the face of the earth. She is beautiful, strong,supportive, and every day I realize what a lucky man I am. I have three beautiful children, and we had all three in 37 months. Luke is 6, Jake is 5, and Lola is 3. I thought my life was great, and then when I had these beautiful children, I realized that everything was incomplete up until then. They are my world. I am very healthy. I eat very healthy. I train and workout 6/7 days a week like a maniac. Eight days before my diagnosis, my wife and I ran the Broad Street 10 mile run in Philadelphia with 30k other runners. With all the headaches, lack of sleeping, and speech issues i'd been having I was not surprised that there was a tumor in my brain. When I checked into the hospital, I had about 5 minutes where I got all teary eyed, and said to myself, I have 3 children 5 and under, how can this be happening to me?? I do almost everything the way I'm supposed to, and why is this happening. Within 5 minutes, I dried my eyes, and sad "Fu#$ this, this can't beat me!" I rolled over went to bed and that was the last pity party I had and I will not have another. I had major brain surgery, and 48 hours later i was at home. 5 days later i attended my son Luke's fathers day lunch at school. 12 days later i was back in the gym and started working from home. 14 days after i played 9 holes of golf with my dad. 20 days later i had my suit on and was visiting clients, working out, playing golf, and feeling great. 25 days later i started chemo and radiation as a preventative measure to make sure we got it all out. I am lucky that I am taking the chemo pill, not the port approach which is much stronger. My father in law has been fighting pancreatic cancer and is 4 years alive into this battle. He does port chemo and that makes mine look like nothing. He is an inspiration and role model to me of class. I will put this behind me in 6 weeks, and every 3 months get an MRI to make sure this brain tumor doesn't grow back. I'm 41 years old, have an amazing family, an amazing business, and an amazing life, and I will not let this get me. Fitness and attitude and diet are essential to beating cancer, and I am starting this to provide funds to the National Brain Tumor Society so they can find a cure for this disease and future patients will beat this in an easier way.

In February 2014, during the same week I ended my Chemotherapy with Temador, I had an MRI that came back negative. My middle son Jake turned 5. It was a week of positive news, and love from family and friends. I had finished Chemo, finished radiation, and continued to live my life with the gift of better perspective on life. On July 28th, 2014 My Father in law lost his battle with pancreatic cancer after 49 months. The fight he put up was legendary. The connection we originally had form day 1 was fantastic. When we both had cancer that connection became perfect. I miss him every day, and was lucky to watch such a brave, heroic father and grandfather, and to me most importantly Father-In-Law.

On March 11th, 2015, I had my every 3 month MRI. I was told nothing had grown back. My health is great. My perspective has never been sharper. I am in the best shape of my life. Our outlook has never been more positive. The appreciation I have for my loved ones gets stronger every day. The friendships we have built over the years we are so appreciative for. Enjoying the moment, appreciating what we have, and working to help find a cure for this awful disease is what we strive for. We work out harder then ever. We work harder then ever. We love our family and friends every day more then ever. Luke is now 7, Jake is 6, and Lola is 4. At some point they will realize Daddy didn't have a Boo Boo, but he went through hell and back. They will know they are the reason he will never give up!

Every 3 months I have an MRI that constantly allows me to never lose sight of what I have been through. We will again be running the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia, and we look to continue to raise money for the National Brain Tumor Society. The money we raise for the National Brain Tumor Society will help all those who head down this difficult road, and hopefully provide solutions to this awful disease. Thank you for your contributions to help us beat this disease.

Please join me in the fight against brain tumors by making a donation to my fundraising campaign to support the National Brain Tumor Society.


Thank you for visiting this campaign and supporting the National Brain Tumor Society. Donations are tax-deductible and can be made easily and securely through this website. If you prefer to mail in your donation, you may send a check, made payable to National Brain Tumor Society to their east coast office. Please be sure to write my name/campaign name in the check memo line!

National Brain Tumor Society
55 Chapel Street, Suite 200
Newton, MA 02458

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