National Brain Tumor Awareness Movement Launches

"Some people think that just the act of living day-to-day is what defines a survivor, and I certainly feel that way sometimes. However, I also believe being a survivor takes commitment to be out there for the world to see while braving everything that life throws your way." - Mike
"My brain tumor has not defined me as a person. It has pushed me to be a better one and given me the courage to do what I have always wanted." - Lori
"I was diagnosed in July of 2009 with a Grade 3 Anaplastic Astrocytoma tumor in the right frontal lobe of my brain- the section that controls movement on the body’s left side. Doctors removed most of the tumor, but left some of it as to not restrict the function of my left leg. The use of my left hand is gone, and my arm is weak. As a result, I can no longer work as a nurse." - Allison
"Having a brain tumor has changed my life and brought much joy to it." - Erin
"There’s no denying that a brain cancer diagnosis casts a very dark shadow over the lives of patients and their loved ones. But without shadow, there can be no light." - Rebecca
"I believed that everything happens for a reason long before I found out I had a brain tumor. After I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, I still felt that way. We may not know why all of the time, but every once in a while we find out." - Mary

National Brain Tumor Awareness Movement Launches

Wilmington, Del. (April 30, 2011) – The GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME® Brain Tumor Awareness Movement, an initiative of the National Brain Tumor Society, made its national debut at the Wilmington-based Fourth Annual GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME Brain Tumor Awareness Walk on Saturday, April 30.

“The GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME Movement originated here in Delaware in 2005,” said Chris Grundner, Director of Awareness for the National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) and the founder of The Kelly Heinz-Grundner Brain Tumor Foundation, now a wholly owned subsidiary of National Brain Tumor Society. “As such, we thought it was only natural that it be the epicenter for the national launch,” Grundner continued.

NBTS unveiled the new GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME Movement brand during the opening festivities of the walk on Saturday. The Movement features brain tumor survivors as spokespeople, and is designed to help both the general public and medical professionals learn the facts about brain tumors and take action in the fight against the disease.

“I am so excited to be a part of the GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME Movement and having a forum to speak out,” said Jackie Pilla, former Miss Delaware and one of the Movement’s survivor spokespeople. “Being involved has given me a greater purpose for this path I am on in life.” Major facts the GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME Movement communicates are:

Brain tumors strike men, women, and children of any race, at any age;
Brain tumors are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths among children under the age of twenty;
Each year, more than 63,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a primary brain tumor and more than 600,000 people in the US are currently living with a primary brain tumor.

“This is a momentous day for the community since an awareness initiative of this size and scope has never existed before for brain tumors. However, it’s exactly what’s needed to help unify our voices, amplify the conversation, and improve the lives of all those affected by this disease,” Grundner said.

For more information on the GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME Movement, visit www.GetYourHeadInTheGame.org.

For more information on the National Brain Tumor Society, visit www.braintumor.org.