When Susan Yungblut answered the phone one afternoon, she had no idea it would bring such good news.

“I had just said to my husband that everything was breaking on me,” she laughs. “My blender quit. My air fryer quit. My weed eater quit. My watch quit. And then I got the call and thought, ‘Finally, some good news!’”

The call was from Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, letting Susan know she’d won $4,683 in the Fall Ontario 50/50 raffle.

A personal connection

Susan first discovered Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada through her family’s own journey.

“My son, Troy, has a brain tumour, so we’ve been involved for a while,” Susan says. “We buy the Hats for Hope sweatshirts and hats every year and we’ve done the Brain Tumour Walk, too.”

Her family’s experience has given her a close-up view of the challenges faced by those living with brain tumours.

“My son’s been doing fairly well,” she says. “He had a setback recently, with a grand mal seizure that came out of the blue, but overall, he’s doing okay. He goes for MRIs every six months now and thankfully, everything’s come back good so far.”

Timing that couldn’t be better

Winning the 50/50 felt like a bright spot after a string of frustrations.

“It just felt like everything was going on me at once,” Susan says. “This call really made my day.”

She’s now looking forward to replacing a few of those broken household essentials and maybe treating herself along the way.

A message to others

More than anything, Susan hopes her story inspires others to get involved.

“I just encourage people to support Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada,” she says. “The money you raise goes a long way toward research and helping people living with brain tumours.”

“When I read that 27 people in Canada are diagnosed with a brain tumour each day, I thought, ‘Oh my gosh.’ You think you’re the only one until you realize how many families are affected. Supporting the Foundation helps them continue the great work they’re doing.”

Congratulations again to Susan, and thank you to everyone who purchased tickets in support of the brain tumour community across Canada.

Watch for our Winter Ontario 50/50 raffle, coming November 15, 2025!