Luke Phillips has made a life for himself in Vancouver, having come from the Gold Coast of Australia 15 years ago.

Two days after arriving, he suited up for a job interview at GEA, one of the world’s largest systems suppliers for the food, beverage and pharmaceutical sectors. He got the job, working towards his current position of director of operations for the Frozen Food Business Unit.

Along the way, he got married, welcomed two kids—and battled a brain tumour.

Luke’s story

Luke had been more tired than normal and getting dizzy from time to time, symptoms he attributed to age and stress. Then, he had a fainting episode, which affected him more than he realized.

“It took a long time to get over that, feeling like I could just faint at any time,” he recalls. “It was almost like PTSD.”

Luke’s wife, a nurse, encouraged him to get checked out. After several rounds of tests, Luke learned he had a brain tumour in his frontal lobe. His diagnosis was a grade two astrocytoma, which led to his first surgery in 2018. Following that, he had another surgery in 2019 and yet another in 2020, along with radiation and chemotherapy.

It was after his first surgery that he received a copy of the Adult Brain Tumour Handbook, developed by Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.

“That’s when I recognized how lucky I was, compared to others with a similar diagnosis or those who had their tumour in a different location,” Luke says. “I wanted to find a way to give some of that good luck back to those in a similar spot.”

Luke was grateful to have his wife and kids by his side, along with his parents, who flew in from Australia for each surgery and recovery.

“I saw the effect it had on them,” Luke says.

“In some ways, it almost feels easier being the person getting the treatment than the people around you, watching you go through it.”

Helping others in their journeys

While Luke was facing his own journey, he wanted to help others face theirs. He connected with BTFC in 2018, having learned about the organization’s BrainWAVE program. This program is geared to children, youth, and their caregivers, helping them connect with others in their journeys, while also giving them an outlet to enjoy time away from hospitals and medical treatments.

Since then, he’s joined the B.C. BrainWAVE committee, working to plan events for young people facing brain tumours while also managing his. Most recently, the B.C. BrainWAVE group enjoyed a day at a waterpark, which Luke says was as fun as it was fulfilling.

Giving back together

His efforts to give back haven’t stopped there. When Luke heard his company would be shutting down its North American operations and selling off equipment and supplies for charity, he was quick to put forth Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada as a recipient of the proceeds.

“I had the opportunity to select a charity that meant something to me,” Luke says. “The people around me knew what I’d been through and they were very supportive of me, as was the company.”

Luke worked with Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada to put together a proposal for his company, resulting in a generous donation of $23,310.

“It was nice to leave that mark and help the people close out their careers here on a positive note, knowing we can help out a good cause,” says Luke.

For others wanting to reach out to their employers for support, Luke urges them to bring forth photos and examples to show where their money is going. For instance, Luke was able to show the impact of B.C.’s BrainWAVE program through photos of past events, testimonials and details of the program from Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada.

“I think that made it a little bit more real for people to know that we’ve got someone here who is benefiting from what the organization does,” Luke says.

If you’d like to discuss grant or donation opportunities with your employer, Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada would be glad to help. Please reach out to our manager of fund development, Nes Nassereddine, at nnassereddine@braintumour.ca, to discuss how we can work together to make a meaningful difference for the brain tumour community.