Brandon Douglas was 17 when he received a diagnosis that changed his life.
The active teen was a rep-level hockey player, and it was during a game that he had what he described as an “out-of-body experience.”
“He said he could see himself on the ice, playing hockey,” said his mother, Roberta Douglas.
“Deep down, he knew something was wrong.”
Visits to various doctors and specialists yielded different speculations. One believed he had anxiety; another thought it was multiple personality disorder.
It was a frightening incident in high school, though, that led him and his family to believe neither of those was the problem. He called his mom and said he couldn’t see what the teacher was writing on the board.
After it was discovered he had swelling behind his optic nerve, he was sent for a scan. It revealed he had a brain tumour almost as large as a baseball.
“He said, ‘Finally, I understand what’s wrong with my head,’” Roberta said.
The tumour was 98 per cent removed during a 12-hour surgery at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, and Brandon underwent a further three months of rehab and 35 radiation sessions.
“People who see him say they’d never guess he went through that,” Roberta said of her son, who is now 20 years old. ”He’s just this brave kid who always wears a smile.”
Brandon, who lives near Waubaushene and goes to school in Orillia, returns to the hospital every six months for a scan, the last two of which have shown continued shrinkage.
Brandon’s experience has led him and his family to take up the cause of raising awareness about brain tumours.
When they learned the nearest support groups were in Pickering, Toronto and Sudbury, “that made us realize we needed a support group in this area,” Roberta said.
The family has organized some upcoming events to raise awareness and funds for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, and their hope is that those events will generate enough interest in the area to start a support group.
“Brandon said, ‘I want to make a positive out of this for other people and let them know they’re not alone,’” Roberta said.
The first fundraiser on the calendar is a bonspiel at the Coldwater Curling Club on Feb. 29. The first draw will be at 8:30 a.m. and the second will start at 10:45 a.m. Cost is $25 per person.
On May 22, a bowling fundraiser will take place at the Coldwater Bowling Centre, with slots available at 7 and 8 p.m.
On May 30, the first Georgian Bay Brain Tumour Walk will be held, starting at the Queen's Quay British Pub and Restaurant in Victoria Harbour.
More information about all of these events can be found here.
Volunteers are needed if a local support group is to be formed. Anyone interested in helping out, or requiring more information, can email Roberta at [email protected].
With one in 27 Canadians being diagnosed with brain tumours every day, information, awareness and support “need to be out there,” Roberta said.
To find out more about the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, click here.
