30 Years of Hope

Bringing Hope to Brain Tumour Patients in Canada for 30 Years

“This year is an important opportunity for the brain tumour community in Canada to pause and reflect on how far research and treatments have come since the three dedicated founders first began their effort to put a face and voice behind brain tumours,” says Executive Director, Susan Marshall. “It’s also a chance to look to the future, towards the exciting things to come for Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.”

One significant effort this year will be to increase public awareness about brain tumours all across Canada. Brain tumours are more common than most people think: Every day in Canada, 27 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour and it is estimated that 55,000 Canadians currently live with the disease. Brain tumours don’t discriminate; they affect people of all ages and backgrounds. For individuals living with a brain tumour, and their families, this anniversary year is an opportunity to create awareness, raise support and share information about the devastating effects of this disease.

Founded in 1982 in London, Ontario, Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada began after Steve Northey lost his eight-year-old daughter to a brain tumour. Together with Dr. Rolando Del Maestro, a neurosurgeon and researcher, and Pamela Del Maestro, a neuroscience nurse, the three worked to form an organization to improve the quality of life for those affected by a brain tumour.

Since that first meeting, Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada has evolved into the national leader of the effort to raise awareness and mobilize action on brain tumours. Since 1982, more than $3 million has been directed to fund vital research projects that contribute to progressing brain tumour treatment and care. Thousands of patients lean on the organization every year for information, education and support.