FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 28, 2003
Contact: Rebecca Watson; Public Relations Assistant
(732) 632-1530
Brain
Tumor Support Group
Focuses on Hope
EDISON, NJ: When someone is facing a health challenge, having the help
and encouragement of a support group can do wonders for dealing with that
illness. More than a decade ago, Patricia Anthony, a neurosurgical nurse,
was working in a private neurosurgeon’s office. When asked if there were
any brain tumor support groups locally, Patty discovered that there were
support groups for cancer patients, but none for those specifically with
brain tumors. The closest brain tumor support group was in Allentown,
PA. She knew that patients with brain tumors needed something more. So
in 1991, Patty founded the Central New Jersey Brain Tumor Support Group
and Resource Center.
“To send a brain tumor patient to a general cancer support group just wasn’t the answer. Having a brain tumor is not the same as having colon or breast cancer. Certainly all are challenging, but brain tumors affect you differently, they affect your whole way of being. It can change the way you walk or talk, it can paralyze one side of your body, and it can impact your memory. With a brain tumor, it’s not just about a disease, it’s about how that disease specifically impacts your life.”
Patty, who facilitates the support group meetings, comments, “Patients get so much out of the group. There’s a reason we named it the Central New Jersey Brain Tumor and Resource Center. It’s about support and information. Not only do we focus on personal support and encouragement, but we also house a resource library full of books, conference information, literature, videos and more.”
The support group meetings include gab sessions, presentations and informational speakers, as well as special activities throughout the year. Speakers and presenters in the past have included neurologists, neuro-oncologists, neurosurgeons, neuropsychologists, researchers, nutritionists, massage therapists, and other holistic healers. Speakers are chosen according to group needs and interests. Currently there are approximately 20 members in attendance, ranging in age from 20 to 70-plus.
“There’s a real need for support groups when you’re facing such a tremendous challenge as a brain tumor. It helps to know you’re not alone, that others share your experiences, and can share with you how they got through them. That support can give you something to strive for, something to hold on to. It can give you hope...and hope is the most healing of all emotions.”
As founder and meeting facilitator, Patty has one overriding goal, to increase awareness about brain tumors. “When you increase awareness, you increase understanding.”
Most people know very little about brain tumors and how they impact people’s lives. Some might be surprised by the names of those who have been struck down by brain tumors, such as: composer George Gershwin, singer Ethel Merman, football player Lyle Alzedo, and politician Lee Atwater. “These names represent the past. Advocacy and funding for much-needed research represent the future. The cause of brain tumors remains unknown and treatment options are limited. Brain tumor occurrences seem to be on the rise, yet research remains drastically underfunded. Our goal is to raise awareness, involvement, understanding, and funds.”
The Central New Jersey Brain Tumor Support Group meets the first Thursday of every month at 7:00 p.m. at the Parish Center of St. Luke’s Church, 300 Clinton Avenue, North Plainfield, NJ 07060. The support group is open to brain tumor patients, as well as their family, friends, and caregivers.
The group is sponsored in part by the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute (NJNI) located at JFK Medical Center in Edison. NJNI is a comprehensive facility designed exclusively for the diagnosis, treatment, and research of complex neurological disorders in adults and children. For more information on the New Jersey Neuroscience Institute or to inquire further about the support group, call 732-321-7950 or visit the facility online at www.njneuro.org .