Proclaim Ependymoma Awareness Day - May 5, 2015!
Proclaim Ependymoma Awareness Day - May 5, 2015!
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Proclaim Ependymoma Awareness Day Where You Live!

Show Your Support!

In addition to contacting your local and state government officials, you can show your support of Ependymoma Awareness Day by purchasing a live butterfly (or several butterflies!) that will be released during the awareness day ceremony!
You can also purchase an awareness lapel pin, temporary tattoo or hat. 
Ependymoma Outcomes Project Results
Clinical Trials
Inspirational Stories
Ependymoma Guide

Interested in Sharing Your Story?

You can submit your own story, poem, article or anything you consider inspirational about your personal journey with ependymoma. This will help others who are going through similar experiences.

Get Involved Today!

On a local level, we urge you to participate in activities to create awareness about ependymoma in your local community.  
To help you with the cause, the CERN Foundation has developed an Ependymoma Awareness Day Kit that includes information on the butterfly release and sample documents that you can send to your elected officials. You can download a Word version of the sample letter and sample proclamation to send to your local official. You may want to personalize the letter so that it has more impact and tells your experience with ependymoma. Some locations require at least 6 weeks prior to the event to submit a proclamation. The proclamations must be renewed each year and many can be simply e-mailed. 
During our 2014 event, we were honored that Ependymoma Awareness Day was officially recognized by numerous municipalities around the U.S., including: Austin, Chapel Hill, Cincinnati, Columbus, Houston, Illinois, Indiana, Madison, Massachusetts, Memphis, Michigan, New Hampshire, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Santa Barbara, Seattle, Shelby County, Texas, Trigg County, Washington D.C. and Wisconsin.

Make sure your town is included in this list in 2015!

We are excited to announce our first proclamation this year: Houston, TX.

Ependymoma Does Not Define Us

CERN Inspirational Story
By Vickie
In December of 2013, as I was getting out of the shower, I lost my balance and fell hard on my tailbone. The fall knocked the wind out of me. I finally got up and went about my day with some pain, which was expected, from the fall. Over the next couple of weeks, the pain intensified and my fiancé took me to a local emergency room. I was treated for the pain. I was told to follow-up with my primary physician as the CT scan showed what they suspected to be a herniated disc.
A couple of days later, the pain subsided. At the time, I was the mother of an eleven-year-old, enrolled in nursing school and planning my wedding. I figured that I pinched a nerve, causing the pain and that no further follow-up was necessary. Life continued on as usual.
About five weeks after our wedding, I felt a sharp pain as I tried to get out of bed. Again, we didn’t think much of it, figuring that I pulled a muscle or pinched a nerve. A couple of days later, the pain was worse and my husband suggested that we again go to the emergency room. I explained my symptoms to the nurse practitioner and she ordered another CT scan. The scan showed no abnormalities, so they decided that I had a sciatic nerve inflammation, wrote me a prescription for painkillers and sent us home.
The Pain Was Caused By A Tumor
Although we returned to the ER four times the next week, the pain intensified and our questions remained unanswered. My husband decided it was time to call a neurosurgeon. He scheduled an appointment for the following day. By that time, I was not able to do anything because the pain had become crippling. An ambulance had to be called and the neurosurgeon admitted me to the hospital. 
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