'A lot of young people are affected by brain tumours'

 Helping others through difficult times: Julian and Caroline Walker know the pain of having a loved one diagnosed with a brain tumour. Their son was 17 when a tumour was found and now at 26, he’s leading an active and fulfilling life in Vancouver.

Julian and Caroline Walker were devastated when their 17-year-old son, David, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2001.

"It was like being hit by a tonne of bricks," said Julian Walker.
The Walkers say their son exhibited some symptoms leading up to the diagnosis: David had experienced numbness and weight loss, and was involved in a couple of minor car accidents, leading his parents to believe something was wrong with his eyesight.
The Walkers' optometrist quickly realized something more serious was happening than a problem with David's vision.
"He told us, '(David) has pressure on his brain, pushing on his optic nerve,' " Julian said. "That same day, he was up at the Chalmers Hospital, where he had a CAT scan, which confirmed he had a brain tumour.
"He went to Saint John immediately and was operated on the next day."
David was up and about only a day after his operation, but during the next six months, he had to undergo radiation and chemotherapy treatments.
The Walkers knew almost nothing about brain tumours prior to their son's diagnosis.
They educated themselves by speaking with David's doctors and through resources offered by the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.
"The brain tumour foundation sets up support groups across the country," Caroline said. "But there weren't any in New Brunswick at that time.
"We did go to events called information days in Halifax, put on by the foundation. They bring in specialists who speak about all the latest research on brain tumours. We attended quite a few of those."
"Every tumour is different, so it's not like other cancers," said Julian. "You need a large information base to understand what's going on."
Since 2001, more resources have become available in the province. The foundation has set up a support group in Moncton and an event called the Spring Sprint is now held in Fredericton each year to raise awareness and funds for the organization.
Paul Mitchell, community relations officer for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, said Fredericton's Spring Sprint receives a great deal of support from the community.
Based on that response, Mitchell said, the foundation held a town hall meeting recently to determine whether there was an interest in starting a support group in Fredericton.
"The community has asked for support, so we've decided to set up this group," Mitchell said.
"Support groups are important because no one can really understand unless they've been through the same situation. It's a place where people can comfort one other, share the burden of the experience and empathize.
"It's not just for those who have been diagnosed, but for their whole family to share their experiences and learn more."
Caroline will be the volunteer convener for the Fredericton support group. She'll be joined by Brenda Garnett, an employee at the Stan Cassidy Centre for Rehabilitation's foundation office, who will be the volunteer facilitator.
With 10,000 people in Canada diagnosed with brain tumours each year, Caroline said she expects the Fredericton support group will make a difference in the lives of a number of brain tumour patients and their families.
"A lot of young people are affected by brain tumours," she said. "The support group will enable people to come and tell their stories and share their experiences. It will also help direct people to other resources."
Today, David is 26 and lives an active life in Vancouver. He is recovering from a recent brain operation.
His parents say David never lets his health problems stop him from having a positive attitude.
"He doesn't stress too much," Julian said. "(David) has the attitude that you go down the track and don't waste time looking behind you. I think he's taught us a lot."
The Fredericton brain tumour support group will hold its first meeting Tuesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at
the Stan Cassidy centre in Room 1113-B. Subsequent meetings will be held on the second Tuesday of each month.
For more information about this year's Spring Sprint and the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, visit www.braintumour.ca.