Glioblastoma Awareness Day - James and Anna's Story
17 July 2024
July 17 is Glioblastoma Awareness Day, and we would like to share Anna and James’s story with you.
“My older brother James was diagnosed with leukaemia when he was 12. He underwent radiotherapy treatment at Peter Mac in conjunction with a bone marrow transplant that he received through the Royal Children’s Hospital.”
James's treatment was successful, and he spent the next 10 years cancer free.
In 2022, James began to experience some difficulty with his speech, what followed took everyone by surprise.
James was diagnosed with glioblastoma – a type of brain cancer that is very challenging to treat.
“Our family were absolutely heartbroken and beyond shocked that this had happened so unexpectedly. He had only been experiencing symptoms of some difficulty with speech but had otherwise been completely normal.”
Despite the devastating diagnosis, Anna says “James was the calmest of us all, more concerned about our wellbeing than his own.”
The current five-year survival rate for glioblastoma is less than five per cent.
Sadly, almost a year after James’s diagnosis he passed away peacefully at Peter Mac.
“We miss him more than words can describe, but we take great comfort in knowing that he was able to move on from this life in a hospital that did so much for him during such a challenging time.
“Peter Mac were absolutely incredible with the care that they provided to James, but also with the support that they provided to us as a family. The youth cancer centre OnTrac (the Victorian Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Service) and the palliative care ward were particularly outstanding in this.”
Anna hopes by sharing James’s story, she can help raise awareness for the importance of cancer research.
“We are forever grateful to Peter Mac for everything they do, and hope that one day with enough research and funding glioblastoma will not be a terminal diagnosis, which is something that James had been particularly passionate about in the final months of his life.”
Your support of Peter Mac helps our dedicated researchers discover more effective treatments and cures for all cancers so that families like Anna and James have more time together.
