Giving to Support a Connected Brain Tumour Community

Learning how to walk and talk again is not something most adults have to face. For Ben Seewald, this was the reality he met when he began his journey with a brain tumour at the age of eighteen.

Diagnosed with a central neurocytoma in the summer between his Grade 12 and OAC years in high school, the former track and football captain says he wasn’t the only person affected by his brain tumour. “It was a big surprise, the diagnosis. And it impacted not just me, but my entire family.” Support from friends and family around the world poured in for Ben and his loved ones.

In addition to the well wishes and positive thoughts shared by people across the globe, Ben says the relationships he built through the London brain tumour support group were invaluable and allowed him to connect with a community of people experiencing similar circumstances. He even makes a point to visit the group when he’s back in the London area.

Because of his diagnosis, Ben has a deep relationship with the brain tumour community and Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada. A founding member of the donor society, the Kelly Society, a past employee of the organization and a devoted Spring Sprint participant, it’s easy to see Ben’s commitment. When asked about why he’s so invested in Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, Ben says it’s his way of giving back to others affected by a brain tumour, to help them find the hope to overcome the disease.

“I have had some of the best conversations and met some of the strongest and most inspiring people through Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada,” he explains. “I believe we’re all here to help each other and the world is one big community.”

The commitment to helping patients and their loved ones doesn’t stop there. Ben’s parents, Carol and Richard, also offer of their time and expertise in a donor and volunteer capacity. Carol was one of the initial committee members who helped create “A Friend in Hope,” the organization’s children’s storybook designed to help explain the journey with a pediatric brain tumour. Richard provided photography that lives on today as part of Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s Legacy Giving program – the Tree of Life, which symbolizes hope for patients and survivors. Ben’s parents are also long-time Kelly Society members and Spring Sprint participants.

Together, Ben and his parents demonstrate their generosity in various ways, and it is their gifts to the Kelly Society that play an important role making a difference for brain tumour patients and their families.

Learn more about the Kelly Society.