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Living with a Brain Tumour
Newly diagnosed? Reach out for support and information today: Toll Free 1-800-265-5106 or locally 519-642-7755
Diagnosis
You are not alone!
If you, or someone you love, has been diagnosed with a brain tumour, you will have lots of questions. Why me? Why now? How did this happen? The shock of a brain tumour diagnosis can be overwhelming. It is normal to experience many different feelings and emotions as you go through the process of understanding your diagnosis.
Knowing where you can go for support and who you can talk to can help.
Staff at Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada are available to talk to you and your loved ones about finding support services in your community, as can the social worker at your hospital. Support Groups can also be beneficial. You are not alone!
Where to Start?
All of this information and more can be found in our Brain Tumour Handbook. These books have been compiled with the assistance of Health Care Professionals, so that you can be confident that you have reliable, accurate information.
Telling Family and Friends
Informing your loved ones about your diagnosis may be difficult. You might be unsure about how much information to disclose without burdening them. It is important to have the people closest to you available for support during this time. Sharing information with loved ones helps remove some of the emotional weight and allows you to move past the initial shock of diagnosis and on to learning about treatment options so that you can make an informed decision.
Our handbook and information sheets have more tips on how to communicate your news to family, friends, children, your employer, and co-workers.
Find support
A brain tumour diagnosis can have wide-reaching effects. If you find yourself in need of financial support for food, clothing, rent, utilities, or household items, there is support for you.
You may also find that you need childcare, disability or accessibility supports, personal care, or other community services. All provinces and territories in Canada offer a 211 Service with a searchable database and/or the opportunity to speak with someone who can connect you with necessary resources.
211 Services can be reached by dialing or texting 211, or through their website here: https://211.ca/
You can often find similar supports through your region’s government website. Additionally, the Government of Canada provides Income Assistance for a variety of demographics.
More information can be found here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/benefits/income-assistance.html
Furthermore, the Canadian Cancer Society has a list of financial supports broken down nationally and regionally, which can be found here: https://www.cancer.ca/en/support-and-services/support-services/financial-supports-by-province/?region=on
The Canadian Cancer Society also has a database of community supports, which can be found here: https://www.cancer.ca/en/support-and-services/support-services/find-services-in-your-area/?region=on
We hope that these resources support you as you move through this new land.
