Share Your Story
Your story is powerful and can help raise awareness and support for others facing similar challenges. By sharing your experience, you bring hope to others and show them that they are not alone.
Story submissions should be fewer than 1,000 words. We encourage you to focus on how having a brain tumor has impacted your life or what you want others to understand about brain tumors. Fields marked with an asterisk (*) are required.
Patient & Caregiver Stories
Story Submissions Disclaimer
The stories featured on this page are submitted by patients, caregivers, and families who have chosen to share their personal experiences. These stories reflect the individual perspectives and opinions of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views, beliefs, or policies of the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA).
The ABTA does not independently verify the details of these stories and cannot guarantee their accuracy or completeness. The information shared in these stories should not be considered as medical advice or a substitute for professional consultation with qualified healthcare providers.
By reading or submitting content to this page, you acknowledge and agree that the ABTA is not responsible for any decisions or actions taken based on the information provided in these stories.
If you have concerns about any content on this page, please contact us at [email protected]
Defying the Odds: Living 28 Years After a Glioblastoma Diagnosis
by Larry Skigin It was 1997, and I was 31 years old when life changed in an instant. Out of the blue, I had a seizure. Just days later, doctors […]
Read MoreFuel the Fight. Fund the Future.
Your Support Powers the Next Breakthrough in Brain Tumor Research As we approach the end of the year, we are reminded of the extraordinary power of community. A network of […]
Read MoreSeeing Beyond MRI: The Promise of LAT1-Targeted PET Imaging for Glioma
When facing a diagnosis of glioma or glioblastoma (GBM), every scan, symptom and decision can feel deeply personal. Patients and families quickly learn how much depends on imaging — it […]
Read MoreNX Development Corp. Resumes U.S. Distribution of Gleolan® (aminolevulinic acid HCl) for Fluorescence-Guided Neurosurgery
NX Development Corp (“NXDC”) is pleased to announce that it is once again distributing Gleolan® (aminolevulinic acid HCl) in the United States, supporting neurosurgeons in fluorescence-guided surgery for patients with […]
Read More
Fighting Glioblastoma with My Tribe
by Erika Butler My life changed forever on July 3, 2023, when I had a seizure and crashed into a house. The police assumed I was drunk, but a CT […]
Read More
Fuel the Fight, Fund the Future.
When Beth Kassab first attended the ABTA’s National Conference in 2023, she was admittedly hesitant. Beth lost her husband to a brain tumor in 2022, after 16 years of marriage […]
Read More
When “How Are You?” Feels Impossible to Answer
By Mary Kate O’Donnell “How are you?” It’s the question that starts nearly every conversation. Most people answer on autopilot—“Good, good… I’m doing well!” “Things are great. How are you?” […]
Read More
The Hidden Consequences of a Childhood Brain Tumor: A Survivor’s Journey
by Adam Bunnell When I was a child, I was diagnosed with a glioma near the fourth ventricle of my brain, adjacent to the cerebellum. The tumor was surgically removed, […]
Read More
A Life of Service, Love, and Strength: Kate’s Journey with Glioblastoma
by Pat Jones My wife, Kate Straub-Jones, lived a life of dedication and purpose. We both served in the U.S. Navy and continued to work as government civilians after retirement. […]
Read More
12 year glioblastoma survivor
by Katie Kaiser Smith In 2012, I was a mom to a one-year-old baby girl and a six-year-old son. Life was busy and beautiful, full of the little joys and […]
Read More
New Life
By: Kelsie Barry, Astrocytoma Survivor The morning I woke up in my new city of Las Vegas, I felt like I didn’t sleep for more than a couple of minutes.
Be Like Brad
By: Tia Mazzone, Caregiver Brad’s journey is an extraordinary one. In October 2022 he started having headaches mid-month. Due to the weather being smokey and dry conditions, his wife, Tia
Esther’s Story
October 3, 2021. My dear precious mother, Esther Stone, suffered a seizure which resulted in a Glioblastoma diagnosis. That’s the day my world shattered. Esther’s seizure happened after the regular