According to a story from the Sunderland Echo, a man from the Sunderland area, Graydon Downs, was diagnosed with glioblastoma when he was just 33 years old. At that time, his doctors did not see a path forward for long-term survival. They told him that he had only two more years to life at best. However, six years later, Graydon has exceeded his doctor’s expectations and is still on his feet. Still, he could be living on borrowed time, and he has no intention of wasting it.
Glioblastoma is a rare and aggressive brain cancer that can be very difficult to treat effectively. Without treatment, it can kill in a matter of months. Even with treatment, most people are fortunate to survive for more than a year. Glioblastoma can cause symptoms such as seizures, memory loss, personality changes, vomiting, nausea, and eventually loss of consciousness. Five year survival rate is very low, only about three to five percent. This makes Grayson’s continued survival all the more remarkable. Glioblastoma can be difficult to treat because many drugs are unable to cross the blood-brain barrier to reach the tumor. The brain can also easily be damaged by many typical cancer treatments and its ability to heal itself is limited. Glioblastoma is also quite resistant to treatment. To learn more about this type of cancer, click here.
For Graydon, he has come to understand that his life could end quickly. His cancer has not gone into remission, but he says that there are good days and bad days. Ultimately, the risk of possible death makes it difficult for him to do any long-term planning. A major part of coping with his diagnosis has been maintaining a healthy sense of humor; he has nicknamed his tumor Toby, for example. Staying positive has also helped the people around him from treating him too differently because of his glioblastoma.
Something that helps Graydon maintain his good demeanor is his willingness to fundraise and give back to others in the community. He has always been enthusiastic about spreading awareness, which led him to found The Three Tumours, alongside Ian, Richard and Dan. The nonprofit will help raise money that will go towards funding cancer research. The three cancer patients plan to start a walk along Hadrian’s Wall next month to kick off their fundraising.
Ian was first diagnosed with glioblastoma at age 45, but he is 52 years old now and is also defying the odds; his doctors originally told him he had 12 to 14 months of life left. After his first round of treatment, his cancer relapsed, and since then the strain of chemo and radiation therapy has taken its toll. For a time, he had trouble recognizing simple household objects and even his four daughters. He also developed epilepsy and has had vision problems. Nevertheless, he is committed to his role at the charity; his motto is ‘don’t count the days…make the days count.’
Richard, who is now 62, was first diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2015. He struggled with misdiagnoses from his care providers, and surgery to remove the cancer affected his left-side peripheral vision. He has three sons and four grandchildren. While he is still able to complete most daily tasks, though rather slowly, he is grateful for the support of family and friends during his recovery.
Dan was diagnosed with glioblastoma when he was only 19 years old. He is now 25, and had to endure radiation and five surgeries to treat his cancer. After treatment, he lost the use of the right side of his body. However, he has recovered much of this functionality over the years. Now, he has his own personal training business, and helps other cancer patients regain control over their lives.
To learn more about The Three Tumours, click here. To donate, click here.
