The skilled surgeons at OHSU removed the tumor a couple days later and most of us felt it was a close call, assuming they had removed the tumor and Christy would be fine and make a full recovery. Only a few short weeks later she was diagnosed with Glioblastoma. Before her diagnosis, I don’t remember ever even hearing the word “Glioblastoma” and had no idea what it was. My wife received some information from a friend who had experience with this particular form of cancer. He introduced us to Dellann Elliott, CEO of the Chris Elliott Fund. Dellann gave me a lot of information, introduced me to exceptional health care providers, and quickly became a trusted resource.

The rest of the story belongs to Christy. It’s her journey and we are here to support her, which is why I’m walking this year, for the first time ever – to support friends and family fighting brain cancer. I walk because I want to be there for others when they get that call in the early morning hours and have no idea what Glioblastoma means, or how they should react to news that a dear friend has a malignant brain tumor.

Glioblastoma is a devastating disease that 22,000 people will be diagnosed with this year. Half of those diagnosed will live more than one year and less than 5% will make it past 5 years. As bleak as the statistics are, progress is being made but it depends on support. So while I’m walking to support Christy, I’m also walking to support the researchers, doctors and social workers that are working to cure this disease. I walk with team CEF because Dellann Elliott and the Chris Elliott Fund helped us find answers. I want to make that information available to everyone that needs it. I want to support the people that do not yet know they need, so when the time comes they have everything they need to fight this disease.

Please join us in the 2011 Seattle Brain Cancer walk. Go to www.chriselliottfund.org and look for the “Walk” link under the events tab (direct link).

We have to have funds in order to give to research.  We have to have funds in order to pay professionals and not always rely on volunteers who already have a fulltime job.  We have to have funds to make a difference, and I am quite passionate about this issue.

People ask me all the time, why isn’t there more being done.  I have to say, I am doing all I can with myself and with my volunteers, and the next question is have you given lately?  It all starts with each and every one of us to end this disease. 

If you feel like helping and partnering with the Chris Elliott Fund, because you have decided after clever and thorough investigation that this is the charity you have chosen, the charity or fund that can make a difference with this disease, then here are a few links for you to take action:

http://www.chriselliottfund.org/getinvolved/donate.html

Commercial PSA link with Jean Smart below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bToqSpBT7Bk

As you know Jean has taped 8 new PSA’s for us, 4 of which are featured below. We are so blessed to have Jean assisting us with building brain cancer awareness.

Please share these PSA’s with friends, family, facebook, associated blogs, twitter, and let’s get the word out and EndBrainCancer.

 The Smart family has requested that tributes in memory to Georgia Smart be made to the CEF and that all support our efforts to educate and create awareness about this disease as well as our efforts to fund research for a cure.  If for no other reason than this request, please consider making a donation TODAY.   THANK YOU.  Those of you who know me, know that I work very hard to help save lifes of those about to be diagnosed with brain cancer or those who will be diagnosed.  I am happy and saddened at the same time to tell you about my new AWARENESS partner, emmy award winning actress, Jean Smart

My recent experience and the reason that I want to share it is because TODAY, I am feeling particularly GRATEFUL to a kind, funny, real and warm lady that I now call “friend”,  Jean Smart. At the same time, I am sad and  feeling her and her family’s pain and again, wishing that I could have saved another brain tumor patient’s life.  Georgia Smart, Jean’s sister, recently passed away from her Glioblastoma brain tumor.  Through the CEF, I am so lucky to meet so many people that I would not normally meet.  One of those special people was none other than Georgia Smart.  I will always remember her laugh and her love for her lipstick and I will always hear her say “A Gal’s Got to Have Her Lipstick”.  I am so smiling right now as I write this and remember Georgia.  Georgia, you will be missed by MANY.  I KNOW you are in excellent company with some of my and CEF’s  friends in heaven who have also lost their lives to brain cancer.  I am forever grateful to have met you and I will continue to fight for you as well as for so many others.

I’d like to take this opportunity THANK Jean Smart for reaching out to me so many many months ago for my and the Chris Elliott Fund’s (CEF) help when her sister, Georgia, was diagnosed with brain cancer. I only wish we could have done more and since that time, I have learned so much more about this disease and exactly what to do when one is diagnosed and even BEFORE one or one’s loved ones are diagnosed. These topics are for another BLOG post for another time….

Last Monday was a day like no other that I had experienced before.   Jean drove herself to my home, hair in curlers, carrying an extra outfit, ready to do whatever the Chris Elliott Fund needed her to do.  I love her attititude!  She was ready to work and was ready to fight this disease by working many long hours in front of a production/camera crew and cut eight TV PSA’s to drive awareness and bring this disease out of the shadows and into the light of AWARENESS and HOPE!  THANK YOU Jean.

I often refer to Jean as my “sister’ and sometimes, I just have to say “pinch me” while at the same time, realizing that it is under very difficult circumstances that Jean has come into my and the Chris Elliott Fund’s life…..I will BLOG about my experiences with Jean last Monday shooting TV PSA’s as well as why I call Jean my “sister” tomorrow as there is a new brain tumor patient asking for our help that I need to work with.

Please join me in expressing my sincerest symposthies, blessings and love to Jean and the entire Smart Family while wishing them much strength.  Blessings, Dellann Elliott, President & CEO, Chris Elliott Fund for Glioblastoma Brain Cancer Research

60 people are going through a brain cancer diagnosis today. We hope they and YOU would have support and friends to turn to and we hope that they and YOU would immediately know to turn to us for help. We hope they and YOU would know about the Chris Elliott Fund before being diagnosed. We hope they and YOU would use us as a free resource to gather correct information quickly and help you know about advanced brain cancer treatment and help you receive these treatments. YOU can help make this information available to everyone. Here’s how YOU can help TODAY!

TODAY, we are asking for a $10 donation (insert link to web donation page) from 3,000 of our friends and supporters so that we can help those 60 people diagnosed TODAY and EVERYDAY.

YOUR $10 Donation will:

Help others to know about the Chris Elliott Fund and our services via our public awareness campaigns, social media, internet and our special awareness events. We HOPE that those diagnosed know to immediately reach out to the Chris Elliott Fund so that we can connect then to a brain tumor center noted for its excellence anywhere in the country. Your donation also funds our Patient Outreach and Awareness Program and allows YOU when you need us to reach out directly to the Chris Elliott Fund for help and ask one of our patient specialists for help. It allows us to help you or a loved one receive advanced brain tumor treatment and genomic testing of one’s individual brain tumor to determine which chemo will work on your personal brain tumor.

This is why we turn to you. Those 60 people won’t be able to find us in the vast pool of chaos and mis-diagnosis, and wrong answers without your help. We cannot win this battle without your confidence and support.

TODAY’s donation request will help us move forward and build awareness so that others will immediately find us, and will find the answers they need to end brain cancer in their lives. Those 60 people need us today—they don’t need a large organization with bureaucracy where they get transferred from place to place. They need answers quickly and they need the right answer now. They need to know that we are out there and we have the answers they need to extend their lives or even save them.

The only way we can do that is with your help and support. Please reach out to us to show YOUR support and donate $10.00 dollars so we can fund our programs (Link here to our website on the donate page), fund research, fund awareness, fund educating doctors and patients, and most importantly, to fund the cure. What if YOU were diagnosed TODAY with brain cancer? Would you know who to turn to? Please help others to be aware of the Chris Elliott Fund by supporting our efforts so that all who are diagnosed know to immediately reach out to us for help and guidance.

Please take a moment and really think about these 60 people today. What are they doing to get help, and where are they going? Standard protocol is not going to save their life, but specialized, customized treatment will, and we know how to get them this treatment fast.

We THANK YOU for donating $10.00 dollars so that we can fulfill our mission: to End Brain Cancer through education, awareness, advocacy and research.

Thank you for your time, your passion, and your support. Your support TODAY, may have just saved a life.