Making a difference for brain tumor research--a Canton resident's story.

Right now in the United States, nearly 700,000 people are living with a brain tumor. And while brain tumors often get less attention and receive much less public funding than other diseases, they are among the most deadly conditions. Only one out of three adults diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor today will be alive in five years and more than 14,000 people will die because of the disease this year alone. In 2012, at age 31, I could have become one of these statistics.

My name is Ryan Carpenter and I’m a marketing consultant who has lived with my wife in Canton for more than six years. When I started suffering from double vision almost two years ago, I paid a visit to my doctor and an MRI soon revealed a mass on my brain. It was, to our shock, a Grade 4 glioblastoma, a highly malignant (cancerous) type of tumor that can reproduce quickly. There was little time to absorb the news before we had to act.

Over the next two years, I underwent three brain surgeries (one to retrieve a sample of the tumor, another to install a shunt and a final surgery to unsuccessfully attempt a removal), 42 days of radiation and an aggressive course of chemotherapy. Throughout, I worked hard to stay active and keep my life as normal as possible by continuing to work, but treatment certainly took its toll.

Today, three months post treatment—and thanks to the tireless work of my physicians and the ongoing advances in brain tumor research and treatment—I’m thrilled to say that I beat the odds. I feel great and am getting back to the things I love, including outdoor activities like hiking the Blue Hills with my wife, attending sporting events and traveling.

When I was first diagnosed, my wife and I went looking for resources and support and soon found the National Brain Tumor Society, the largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the brain tumor community in the U.S. and headquartered right in our backyard in Newton. Focused on helping to fund new research and the discovery of new treatments, National Brain Tumor Society became a valuable source of information for us and I knew I wanted to get involved. Today, I volunteer and am a member of the Boston Brain Tumor Walk organizing committee.

The Boston Brain Tumor Walk brings together teams of brain tumor survivors, patients, family members, caregivers and friends from across the Commonwealth for an inspiring, family-friendly 5K fundraising walk aimed at honoring those affected by this deadly disease and raising money to find a cure. Last year, more than 2,500 people from across Massachusetts participated in the event, which raised more than $500,000. All proceeds go toward funding critical brain tumor research and raising vital awareness of the disease.

This year, the Walk will be held on Sunday, October 6 at DCR Mother’s Rest at Carson Beach in South Boston from 8:00 AM to 12:00 noon. This is my second year participating and I will be leading a team of family and friends who have (cleverly) named ourselves “Carpenters Crusaders for a Cure.” Our goal is to raise $2,500 to support brain tumor awareness, research, and, ultimately, to help find a cure. 

The sad reality is that despite the high incidence of brain tumors in this country, there are, currently, only four FDA-approved drugs available to treat the disease. There is much more work still needs to be done, but I am living proof that it’s a battle worth fighting.

To learn more about the Boston Brain Tumor Walk, register to walk and/or donate, please visit: www.BrainTumorWalk.org/Boston.