Go Gray in May: Local women work to fund brain cancer research
All the proceeds from the mixer will go to MD Anderson for Brain Tumor and Cancer research.
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Renee Phillips has a passion for tennis. It’s helped her through her worst days.
“I was playing tennis and my husband met me home for lunch. He handed me an MRI,” Phillips said. “It had some words we didn’t understand. He just said, ‘There is something on my brain.'”
Renee’s late husband, Doug, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, the deadliest and most aggressive form of Brain Cancer.
Katie Studdard also lost her husband, Chris. He too was diagnosed with Glioblastoma.
“It forever changed our world,” Studdard said. “By the size of the tumor, his neuro-oncologist said that the tumor had likely been growing for six to seven months which is really scary. Just to see your loved one diminish and the effects it has on their bodies and their overall function is heartbreaking to watch.”
Many people don’t know they are living with the disease.
More than 1 million Americans are estimated to be living with brain cancer or a brain tumor.
Both Doug and Chris were experiencing issues with their speech which is how they found their tumors. And the symptoms were just a few weeks before their diagnosis.
“We thought it was exhaustion,” Studdard said.
“He never had a seizure or headaches or any symptoms you would think would be associated with the brain,” Phillips said.
Now, Renee is using her love of tennis for Go Gray in May.
The women who lost their husbands say the limited treatment and lack of advancements over the years is saddening, almost like no man’s land.
“There’s not a lot of medicine for it, there’s only 4 FDA-approved medicines, and nothing has changed in 25 years for treatments,” Phillips said. “Brain Cancer is so aggressive, So it’s so important to get treatment and catch it.”
“It takes so many lives away from us each year,” Studdard said. “I know different cancers like breast cancer, there are millions and millions of dollars being poured into research. Why aren’t we doing that for brain cancer?”
Now, they hope fundraisers will help find a cure and win the toughest match of all.
All the proceeds from the mixer will go to MD Anderson for Brain Tumor and Cancer research.
