Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) is a fast-growing, aggressive cancer that begins within the brain. Although it may come about at any age in life, those commonly affected are adults between the ages of 45 and 75.
For a fellow Cochranite her experience with GBM hit too close to home. So close, that she is now reaching out to spread awareness about the rapid growing brain tumours.
In January, Sinead Sissons got news that her mother-in-law, Heather was diagnosed with stage four GBM. With little information or understanding about what it was the family was soon told that Heather has 12 to 15 months to live.
"She was very healthy until she had a root canal done and then she started feeling some symptoms after that, that she thought was maybe vertigo or some effects of the root canal but her career was as an oncology nurse so she just kind of had a feeling that something was wrong. So she went in to get checked and within a matter of two days she was being air lifted to Kelowna and having emergency brain surgery," explain Sissons.
Sissons added that with this type of cancer it is difficult to remove the tumour in its entirety due to its migrating, infiltrating tumour cells. A "debulking" surgery can be done to remove as much of the tumour as possible without injuring the surrounding brain tissue. By taking some pressure off the brain this tends to prolong the lives of patients and improves the remaining quality of life.
With only a handful of resources and clinical trials in Canada and no advances in finding anything that works in over 10 years, patients are required to try their luck in the United Kingdom or the United States. This is what sparked an idea in Sissions to bring light to this dark subject.
"My mother-in-law said to me that she's not going to spend her last year travelling, wasting time trying to find somewhere to do clinical trials. She just wants to live the rest of her life here," said Sissons.
And so the grey ribbon was started. Sissons has created car/window decals that are 5.5 inches by 3.25 inches in size. She is selling them for a minimum $5 donation with all the proceeds going toward the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. Her hope is to inform, bring awareness and allow research for the non-curable disease. Sissons has a pledge available for donations exceeding $20 so a tax receipt can be received and there is also an anonymous donor who will be matching dollar for dollar of what is raised.
In just a short week of posting her story online, Sissons has had donations begin to surface. She has set a goal of $1,500 for herself but explains her true goal is to spread the word about GBM.
"Just since I've been posting it on Cochrane Moms and some community pages. I've had two people from our community message me and say that they have someone in their family affected by this type of cancer and that they were feeling very alone because they didn't realize that there was other people in the community going through the same thing. They said that it made them feel really good to be able to talk to someone about it who's actually going through it as well."
Although there are plenty of support groups online Sissons felt a sense of reassurance knowing there are individuals right here in Cochrane struggling with the same cruel disease.
"Someday hopefully when people get informed that them or someone in their family has this maybe they actually have more hope then just the 12 to 15 months," she said.
If you are interested in donating please feel free to reach out to Sissons at [email protected]. You can also contact her at 403-614-2363 and find her on Facebook at Sinead Sissons.
