Volunteer Griff Moore
Providing 25 Years of Information
Loving parents and medical professionals frustrated by a lack of information relating to brain tumour detection, treatment and care set out 25 years ago to provide much needed help that was so needed. Aside from an interest in funding research to find the cure, providing families with free materials and the information they need to care for a loved one was – and continues to be – a cornerstone to why Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada was created.
As with most programs and services over a period of a quarter century, providing information materials to patients has been a process of evolution. Early versions of resource handbooks were thinner yet contained the most contemporary details about diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation that was available at the time. As research expanded and knowledge was gained in the field of oncology, the books grew in size with each printing eventually reaching the current fifth edition of 236 pages. A pediatric version was introduced to meet the special needs of children, and both editions were translated to be available in both official languages.
Nearly 7,000 handbooks were distributed across Canada for free in 2006. Over 3,000 children’s storybooks were also delivered to patients. The children’s storybook entitled, “A Friend in Hope” features incredible artwork and was written from a child’s perspective to help them understand what was going on during diagnosis and treatment. Like the patient resource handbooks, the Children’s Storybook has been translated into French as well.
Providing so many brain tumour resource materials for free over the years could not have been made possible without the support of great sponsors and volunteers who dedicated their time, energy, and creative ideas to expanding our reach to patients across Canada. Griff Moore is one such volunteer. Now 93, he along with the help of his daughter and several other family members help to collate, assemble and bind handbooks. It may not have always been the most exciting job to do, but it was a vitally important in getting valuable information to patients.
Another important service Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada offers is the ability for patients and their families across the country to call in using a toll-free line, or through forums and on-line chats available on the website to get the information they so desperately need. Over 1,200 telephone requests for information and support were received in 2006. All the material contained within the handbooks is also available 24 hours a day at the website (www.braintumour.ca). Support groups, whether they are meeting in communities across the country or virtually at the website, are another resource for patients looking for information.
Internet services may not replace the versatility of a physical books or the comfort of speaking directly to a person, but Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada’s web-based resources are constantly being updated to be as helpful as possible.
Regardless of how technology will change in the future, Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada will continue in its mission to gather the most current information and make it as widely available as possible to those patients and families who need it the most.
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À 2003 Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada 1.800.265.5106
Charitable Registration #BN118816339RR0001 |