Group offers support to those with brain tumors

In July 1977, Katherine Lane gave birth to her second child. Ten and a half months later, the child endured major brain surgery to remove a tumor that would lead to a seizure disorder and years of medications and slow development.

In February 1997, Becky Simmons’ husband, Marcus, was living a normal life. In November that year, he died of a malignant tumor in his brain.

In August 1998, John Miller was living a normal life. Two months later, he underwent an operation in Baltimore that threatened to leave him blind in one eye, paralyzed on one side or even kill him.

Statistics show that every year, 200,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with a brain tumor. And this diagnosis can present multiple challenges, not only for the patient, but for the family members and friends of those, as well.

May is National Brain Tumor Support and Awareness Month. For the past two years, a group that includes brain tumor survivors as well as friends and family of those who have been diagnosed with a tumor have gotten together to celebrate, share and lean on one another for support and encouragement.

Founded in November 2007, the Florence Neurosurgery and Spine Brain Tumor Support Group meets about every six weeks and gives survivors of a not-so-talked-about diagnosis a chance to communicate with fellow sufferers or survivors.

“Things were hard when my husband was sick and when he passed. I wanted to start this as a way to reach out to others who were going through a similar situation as I was,” Simmons said of her inspiration for starting the group. “It has been a great opportunity for anyone in the area who has suffered from or who knows someone who has suffered from a brain tumor to reach out to each other.”

Miller was the speaker at May’s meeting, which took place at the Florence Neurosurgery and Spine Center. As he has done with many others before, Miller shared his story of survival in both the physical and spiritual senses.

“It started with sudden anger coming on me that I could not explain,” he said. “I began having memory problems very frequently and seizures.”

But a surgery that Miller said put him out of commission for eight weeks saved his life, and now he is ready and willing to share his story of victory with anyone who will listen.

“I did not do a thing to brag about. This was all the Lord’s doing and the Lord’s healing,” said Miller, calling his survival of now 10 years a “divine healing.

“We want them to know there is somewhere to go,” Simmons said of efforts to raise awareness about the group. “Sometimes people who are suffering may think there is no one out there who understands. That is what this group is for: to be with people who can understand and who can feel the same things you feel.”

Maree Robb, who is 35 and had surgery 18 months ago, said she is appreciative of the group and having somewhere to go and share.

“I think it is wonderful that people with this diagnosis can come and have something like this. A lot of emotional healing goes along with the physical and this has been a great help with that,” she said.

For more information about the Florence Neurosurgery and Spine Brain Tumor Support Group, visit the Web site at http://www.florenceneurosurgery.com or call (843) 673-0122.