Children with brain tumors and their families deserve to be seen and heard. The following stories feature families' and survivors' perspectives about the cancer journey from across the pediatric brain tumor community.
As Nathan's dad, I am forever grateful to the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation community. And as one of the foundation’s internal research advisors and a scientist who works in drug development, I also see there’s so much more work we can do.
Mackensie's journey began in early 2018, just before her second birthday. Now an energetic eight-year-old third grader in Las Vegas, she has faced a path filled with medical challenges, surgeries, and treatments—facing each with remarkable courage and positivity.
Audrey, a spirited 5-year-old from Spartanburg, South Carolina, embodies a story defined by perseverance, the power of love, and a mother’s relentless determination to uncover the truth behind her child’s mysterious symptoms.
“I finally found my community, and it was life-changing,” says Gretchen about finding the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation and participating in a Ride for Kids event in 2017 when she was 16. “It took me almost 12 years to find people that I could actually have a conversation with [about my diagnosis and treatment], and my mom and dad felt that way too. It was an immediate bond with these families that we were meeting for the first time.”
