Join Us in the Race for Hope!!!

Each year, my Husband and I attend the Race for Hope Philadelphia on the first Sunday of November. This year will be our fifth year, and we decided to do more than just participate- we decided to volunteer!

We walk for team Give Kathy Hope, in remembrance of my Mother. I’ve talked about my Mom before when celebrating Brain Tumor Awareness Month in May, so you know how close to my heart the subject is. There are a lot of things I didn’t know about brain tumors until my mom was diagnosed, so I thought I’d share some with you so you can be informed!

These quick facts about brain tumors come from the National Brain Tumor Society (who is responsible for the Race for Hope) and the American Brain Tumor Association.

Did you know…

• There are 688,096 Americans are living with a brain tumor. Of those,
  • 550,042 tumors are benign
  • 138,054 tumors are malignant
• An estimated 68,470 people will receive a primary brain tumor diagnosis this year. Of those,
  • 45,300 will be benign
  • 23,180 will be malignant
    • 55.2% will be Male
    • 44.8% will be Female
• The average survival rate for all malignant brain tumor patients is only 34.2%.
  • Male: 32.6%
  • Female: 35.3%
• An estimated 13,770 people will die from brain cancer this year.
• The most prevalent type of brain tumor in adults are:
  • Gliomas, such as glioblastoma multiforme*, ependymomas, astrocytomas, and oligodendrogliomas
  • Meningiomas

*A GBM tumor is what we lost my mom to.

• Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) are responsible for 15.4% of all primary brain tumors.
• The exact cause of a glioblastoma is not know.
• For adults, median survival of a GBM is about 14.6 months, with a two-year survival of just 30%.

Mom made it to 26 months, though her quality of life was poor. She underwent several clinical trials but without enough research, the aggressive tumor won. This is why raising awareness and funding is so important! Every donation, no matter the size, helps! Even if it’s just the cost of one of your morning lattes- it really makes a difference.

Donate to our team, Give Kathy Hope, if you can! Join the team and sign up to walk or run in the Race for Philly if you live in the area. Become a “virtual walker” and recruit your own team members and donations on our behalf, or sign up to be a volunteer for the day and hang out with us! Husband and I are on the Refreshments committee, so stop by the tent and say hello if you attend.

There are 81 days left until the Race for Hope in Philadelphia on November 1st! Let’s see how much we can raise!

Grey Matters!