Brian’s Story

My life was carefree. Thirty-nine years old. Happily married with three kids under the age of 5. Life was busy, but that felt normal. The only lingering health issue was consistent headaches over the past 2+ years. One simple statement from Dr. Deborah Gerdes changed our life forever: “Let's get an MRI on your brain to rule out anything serious.” That MRI, which was supposed to be reassuring, revealed a small mass, a menignoma located above my left ear. I was referred to Dr. John Tew and his staff on October 28, 2009. And on December 1, I made the transformation from brain tumor patient to survivor. The tumor was removed and ended up being benign. The only side effect has been permanent hearing loss in my left ear. In the grand scheme of life, however, that’s a non-issue. The chance to be 40 years old and watch my wife and kids grow old is priceless. I could not have gotten through this ordeal without the support of family, friends, co-workers and Dr. Tew and his staff. That is why I will walk, talk, promote and live for the Walk Ahead for a brain tumor cure on 10/10/10.