Newcastle resident walks to raise brain cancer awareness
September 20, 2011
By Staff
Joe Dowell ran marathons, enjoyed riding a Harley and, at 60, planned to work as a marine surveyor after a long career in the aerospace industry.
Until a brain tumor cut short his plans for the future.
Daughter Kelly Dowell, a Newcastle resident, remembers her father as a healthy and vibrant man. The diagnosis of glioblastoma — a common and aggressive form of brain cancer — in late summer 2008 came as a shock.
“One of the biggest misconceptions that I had — and it really struck my family — was this notion of health. You kind of assume, a lot of times, that people who are affected by disease or terminal illnesses live unhealthy lifestyles — they smoke, drink excessively, maybe they don’t eat nutritiously or exercise,” she said. “But what was very humbling was, I’ve met quite a few people with brain cancer who are very healthy otherwise. Oftentimes, no one ever anticipates something like that. You never know.”
Now, more than a year after her father succumbed to brain cancer, Dowell plans to participate in the Seattle Brian Cancer Walk on Sept. 24.
“The word is spreading and people are learning more about brain cancer,” she said.
Get involvedSeattle Brain Cancer Walk
On the WebRead Kelly Dowell’s blog, Brain Cancer Blog, at www.braincancerblog.org. |
Since the walk originated in 2008, donors collected more than $800,000 for research and care for brain cancer patients in the Pacific Northwest. Swedish Medical Center organizes and supports the walk on the Seattle Center grounds.
The event is dedicated to offering hope and support for the 1,500 patients in the Pacific Northwest facing brain cancer, organizer Nan Street said.
The event is personal for organizers, too. Street’s 23-year-old daughter died from brain cancer in 2008.
“Brain cancer is a terribly isolating disease,” she said. “It seems very obvious, but brain cancer changes your brain. It changes who you are, how you think, how you express yourself and how you communicate. The patient and the family feel like only they’re the only ones in the world dealing with this.”
Dowell started a blog, Brain Cancer Blog, to share stories and offer support to other patients and families facing brain cancer.
“You always kind of think, especially when you’re younger — I’m in my 20s — and you kind of feel invincible. You don’t think about death,” she said. “It gives you a new perspective.”
In addition, participating in the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk is another way for Dowell to connect.
“A walk doesn’t seem like a big thing, but just seeing people show up at the walk is powerful because it’s a reinforcement of their lives,” she said.
Dowell, a student at the University of Washington, Bothell, said having a close-knit family proved invaluable as her father battled brain cancer.
“We were lucky because our family is close. We spent a lot of time with each other,” she said. “It’s really about valuing life and valuing family while you can.”
Warren Kagarise: 392-6434, ext. 234, or wkagarise@isspress.com. Christina Lords: 392-6434, ext. 239 or newcastle@isspress.com. Comment at www.issaquahpress.com.
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Cancer is a tough one to recognize. I’ve lost 2 friends, when people ask me- what to can one do, best thing I can think of is understanding early symptoms. Catching cancer at the early stages offers a chance to treat it. Learn and teach others. God Bless all- Reed