My Brain

In the very dark days following my glioma diagnosis, as I was dealing with the rapidly advancing paralysis of my left side and the debilitating side effects of radiation, chemotherapy, steroids and powerful anti-convulsants, a few rays of light penetrated that awful gloom.

One of those bright moments came when then-colleague, Ginna Baldessare asked me if she could wear my name on her jersey during a team fundraising ride for Lance Armstrong’s Livestrong Challenge. Her cycling club, Team Spike, was organized with a goal of raising $10,000 for cancer research.

It’s hard to communicate how much out-of-the-blue gestures like that mean to someone who is down, bewildered and clutching at very thin straws, trying to understand what’s just happened. Knowing that someone cares is an amazing gift for someone who is struggling with a life-altering event.

Team Spike is holding a fundraiser tonight, and they’ve asked me to speak, a task that I will willingly do. Team Spike and angels like Ginna should hear just how much their efforts mean. I’m offering a signed copy of the limited edition book N Judah (photos I took while commuting to radiation therapy) and the first set of artist’s proofs for the Ameugny suite for the silent auction…

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