Feedme Hospitality for Brain Cancer Research!
June 2023
All proceeds will go to help support ongoing research and clinical trials at the Ben & Catherine Ivy Center for Advanced Brain Tumor Treatment. The physicians and specialists work not only with regional experts, but collaborate nationally with other progressive institutions to make the greatest impact on patients everywhere.
Andrew’s Story
“In December 2010, my wife Ciara and I were home for Christmas with our 2-month-old baby daughter Amara. It was in the middle of a two-year stretch of time living in Vienna Austria, where Ciara had secured an international teaching position. It was wonderful to be home for the holiday and to allow our family to spend time with our new child.
On a Sunday afternoon, we were at my parent’s house watching the Seahawks game and everything went black.
I awoke in an ambulance on the way to Swedish Edmonds. I was told by the paramedic that I had experienced a gran mal seizure. It was a very scary moment.
Our trip to the hospital included an MRI to see if anything was going on in my brain. An anaplastic astrocytoma was discovered on my left frontal lobe. I had a brain tumor.
You can imagine the emotions I felt. Struck with a huge sense of mortality. Thinking about not being able to share in my daughter’s graduation or wedding? It was a very fearful moment.
We met with the Neurologists at the Ben and Catherine Ivy Center for Advance Brain Tumor Treatment on Cherry Hill Seattle. They decided we could continue to monitor the tumor with frequent scans and an antiseizure medication to determine the progression. We were allowed to return to Vienna and finish out our final year there.
Upon returning home my wife settled back into teaching in Seattle and were presented with the idea of opening a restaurant with the Ho’s. Bar Dojo. What an exciting new chapter for our family.
In the following months I had one of my regular MRI’s. It showed some significant growth of the mass on my brain.
We had a decision to make. Go into aggressive treatment to stop the growth or go through surgery with post-surgery treatment. We decided on surgery.
We met with an amazing surgeon, and he assured us that he would do the best he could to remove the tumor as completely. There were fears of loss of speech and the potential of speech therapy after the surgery as the tumor was sitting right near my speech center of the brain. We weighed the risks and moved forward.
The results of the surgery were better than we anticipated. The surgeons, doctors, nurses and staff at the Cherry Hill facility were amazing. We were able to remove the tumor and move toward treatment. I have had continued MRI’s and doctor appointments with the people at the Ben and Catherine Ivy Cancer Center. I feel blessed to have had the care I have received and continue to receive.
Over the years, we have participated in the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk in person or virtually to raise money for brain tumor treatment. The walk is an emotional experience. Hearing the stories of so many people who’s loved ones have passed and those who continue to fight. It has been an instrumental part of my life experience and I appreciate the many friends and family that have helped me through it.
We would like to invite you to join us on Monday, June 5th at Fire & The Feast in Edmonds for our brain cancer benefit.
