Survivorship: What’s Next?

Image. Three friends and family stand at pacific ocean with butterfly wings, cleebrating survivorship.

"I don’t know about you, but I have not really ever had to start life over again. It was hard to think that my battle and chapter with brain cancer was over. It was a new life and journey, a new chapter. I called it a “new normal,” but the “new normal” seemed more difficult than the storm itself, harder to understand, and accepting that the storm was truly over took longer than I had anticipated. How does one come back to life from this? What does life look like?"

Adam Holland writes about his experience moving forward after his diagnosis with ependymoma. He reflects on all that he has gone through and provides insight into the process of accepting his new normal. In this blog article, Adam reminds us all of the power of telling our story.

Read Adam’s full blog.

Meet Adam

Adam, a high school history teacher and writer, was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2014 that was later diagnosed as ependymoma. He shares the difficult realities of life as a young man during treatment and accepting his new normal. Adam continues to write and helps others to know they are not alone.

Meet our Ependymoma Community Bloggers.

Image. Icons of heart, head, support, and exercise - all things needed for self care.

Managing Your Self-Care

NCI-CONNECT Rare Brain & Spine Tumor Network

Discover ways to manage your self-care after being affected by a brain or spine tumor. Positive strategies for the following can help you continue to live fully:

Your Emotions and Feelings
Your Mental Health
Your Physical Health
Relationships and Communication with Others
Returning to Work
Spirituality, Beliefs, and Values

Learn more about managing your self-care.

Support the Ependymoma Fund for Research and Education

With your generous support, we will continue to expand our efforts to improve the care and outcome of people with ependymoma. Under “Direct My Gift to Support,” remember to select the Ependymoma Research and Education Fund.

Make A Gift

The CERN Foundation and the National Brain Tumor Society have joined forces to help people with ependymoma and advance ependymoma research toward the development of new and better treatments through the creation of the Ependymoma Fund for Research and Education. Today, the CERN Foundation is officially a designated program of the National Brain Tumor Society. Donations to the Ependymoma Fund for Research and Education will be made on the NBTS website and used to support research efforts that will benefit both ependymoma patients and research through CERN. Emphasis will be placed on CERN’s historical model of supporting work that translates basic science into clinical practice. The Fund will also address overcoming barriers to clinical trial accrual and the development of new clinical studies for ependymoma patients. Additional funds will be used to support educational efforts through print, media, and awareness events. The new collaborative Ependymoma Fund will continue CERN’s practice and tradition of involving and collaborating with other scientists, medical providers, foundations and supporters of ependymoma research.

Friend us.

CERN Foundation PO Box 217 | Zionsville, IN 46077 US