My Mom's Story
Two summer's ago, I was a varsity soccer player at the University of Calgary. Our team had been a part of a pre-season tournament in St. Albert, Alberta. With 5 minutes left in the first half of our game, I was pulled off the feild to be told that my mom had suffered a seizure while driving and had been rushed to a hospital in Lloydminister. We were both coincidentaly close to Edmonton at the time, and I was the first one to see her unconscious, and hooked up to a machine that was keeping her alive. Days later my mom was diagnosed with a stage 4 Glioblastoma, and we were told that there was nothing they could do about it.
Glioblastoma's are a poorly understood, fast growing, unpredictable form of Brain cancer that have a high rate of reoccurance. They are incredibly difficult to treat, and in Canada the options are limited. We lack the resources and funding required to study them, and many patients are limited to a surgery (if possibly), chemotherapy and radiation. The prognosis for a Glioblastoma patient according to the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada is 14.6 months.
One hour your texting your mom you love her before your game, and the next your finding out you have 14.6 months left with her. We were all terrified.
Our family was extremely fortunate, and had the opportunity to take my mom to the KECK Medical Centre at the University of Southern California. I can't express how grateful we are for the unbelievable care she has received at this institution. My mom is tough as nails, and has recieved surgery, various radiation treatments, chemotherapy, and has been involved in several clinical trials. Above all, my mom has been given the remarkable opportunity to fight.
