NBTF Angel Adventure
 
One Family Makes a difference
Steve Hamill’s family has been struck twice by brain tumors. They have chosen to fight back by getting involved in the cause, in the hopes that others will not experience what they have been through.
In 1989, Steve’s mother was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme tumor. “We had no experience with brain tumors and didn’t know where to start,” he said. “We didn’t know about NBTF back then, and I wish we had. We were just lost and felt we didn’t have a partner to help us connect the dots between all the stages of treatment. My mom lived just under a year after diagnosis, and fortunately we had some good time with her. It was tough on all of us.”
Then two years ago, the Hamill family received more bad news. Steve’s sister-in-law Katie was also diagnosed with a brain tumor. “By then we knew about NBTF,” said Steve. “With NBTF as a partner, we looked into clinical research so that Katie could participate in some experimental protocols. We felt so much better prepared to deal with the complexities of this disease.”
Katie passed away a year ago, but she and Steve’s mother are far from forgotten. The Hamill family rallied around the brain tumor cause, and recently donated $50,000 to NBTF through Angel Adventure®. “We want to help others while keeping the memory of my mother and Katie alive,” Steve said. “This is not an unbeatable disease. There are successes. We need to raise awareness and increase research so we can build on those successes. We hope that the experimental will become the new standard.”
Katie’s daughters Julie and Jacquelyn have helped coordinate Angel Adventures® in San Diego and Washington, DC. “It’s such a positive way of directing their grief and sorrow while they honor their mother’s memory and help others,” said Steve. “You change the world one person at a time. We’re fortunate to be able to help the cause fi nancially, and we think NBTF makes good use of that money. But it’s not the only way to make a difference. All of us who have been impacted by this need to get involved and spread the word.”
Source: National Brain Tumor Foundation (NBTF)
Posted Date:
6 October 2007
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