Personal Stories

I DON’T KNOW - Jane Whitehead Death When will I die? How will I die? What happens after I die ... Wait. I will address Death in its rightful place -...

“You think your nurse is dying?” exclaimed my 19-year-old son, who was at my bedside in the Royal Melbourne Hospital ICU in early 2020.

My daughter, Catherine was an avid reader of the BTAA e-News and Magazine, constantly looking for new treatments and information on the latest research.

I have entered a phase on my brain tumour “journey” called ‘Watch and Wait’. Sounds simple? Not when you dig deeper into both the physicality of repeated scans, and the emotional distress it provokes routinely, like clockwork every three months.

About eighteen years ago, after two weeks of occasional headaches, I ended up in hospital. Scans revealed a twenty-millimetre mass inside my brain and I had surgery four days later with a full resection. Pathology revealed a Grade 4 GBM (Glioblastoma Multiforme).

Maverick grief - Igniting a global grief revolution for change - Jennifer Donohoe Grieving Mother, (Bachelor of Business - Communications, RN)One of...

Blogger, Toni Burness has been writing a comprehensive blog about her brain tumour journey that will be a ‘must read’ for many brain tumour patients.

Jenelle Ramstadius was the mother of my four children and was my wife for 27 years. It is difficult to summarise what made her such an inspiration...

Introduction A diagnosis of a brain tumour is likely to prove stressful for everyone involved. Roles are likely to change too and with change comes...

When I was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma in 2010, it was a no-brainer that I would donate my tumour to the tissue bank at RPA. Some months...

A story about complications is not going to be popular. So, if you’re due for a craniotomy, I’d stop reading. But then again, maybe I’m a good news...

My children spent their lives waiting around emergency rooms or at my hospital bedside visiting me, while I recovered from another round of...

Out of the blue I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. A sore left eye led to an MRI which revealed a large tumour wrapped around my optic nerve,...

I never expected my husband to propose marriage when he did. It was the afternoon of June 15th and around us, there was the beeping of IVs and the...

I couldn’t wait until 2020 was finished due to continual lockdowns and other issues because of COVID. I missed seeing my workmates and playing...

In mid-2018 I was a healthy, happy 52-year-old, enjoying a challenging and rewarding career and a great family life. One day in June changed my life...

I was having spasmodic major headaches, slurred speech, severe balance, vision, spatial and mobility issues. Many friends had started pointing out...

My story began like many other brain tumour diagnosis - a middle of the night unexpected seizure. I awoke around 3 am and recognised that my left...

Lyn Phelan is a long-term GBM survivor and her brain tumour experience features on the High Grade Glioma video on the Multi-cultural section of this...

In 2011 Colin McCulloch was struck down with a life-threatening brain tumour, an ependymoma. His tumour was in the centre of his brain and the size...

Jack was one of six sons of Ken Fleming. He was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) in July 2016 and died in April 2018, 22 months into his...

Christmas is supposed to be such a wonderful time of year, not a time when you find out your boyfriend has brain cancer. My boyfriend, Jake and I...

I was diagnosed in 2003 at the age of 29. Our children were still very young my twin step-daughters were 13, the eldest son was 9 and the youngest...

Geoff Davidson has provided BTAA with a very detailed story covering his diagnosis, treatment and recuperation covering the period 2001 - 2014. The...