MICHAEL'S STORY

In the Autumn of 2015, at the young age of 55 years old, our beloved Michael was diagnosed with a stage 4 glioblastoma tumor on the left side of his brain. The warning signs were memory loss and irritability, especially when the sun went down. His surgeon found an egg sized tumor that was most likely forming for 6 months before it was found. He underwent brain surgery and one round of radiation at Fairfax Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Virginia. He participated in a clinical trial at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore, Maryland to ensure the tumor would not return. He had 6 months of “normal life” after completing radiation.  

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The tumor returned in September of 2016 and resulted in back-to-back brain surgeries. There was an air pocket after the initial surgery, so his surgeon had to go back in (for a third brain surgery since the initial tumor). This resulted in a long hospital stay including rehab to learn to walk and talk again. On January 19th, 2017, 15 months after his diagnosis, Michael lost his courageous, grueling battle with glioblastoma. Michael is remembered by those who knew him as a charismatic, larger-than-life and loving husband, father and friend.  

 

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