Pull-ups For A Cure

The month of May is set aside for brain tumor awareness.  Why would an entire month be set aside for brain tumor awareness?  Perhaps because:

• There are over 600,000 people in the US living with a primary brain tumor diagnosis.
• More than 60,000 adults and children will be newly diagnosed this year.
• Because brain tumors are located at the control center for thought, emotion and movement, their effects on an individual's physical and cognitive abilities can be devastating.
• The five-year survival rate after diagnosis with a primary malignant brain/central nervous system tumor is 35.10%. The five-year survival rate for Glioblastoma, the most common and deadly brain tumor, is 4.46%.
• Brain tumors are the leading cause of death from solid tumors in children under the age of 20, and are the third leading cause of death from cancer in young adults ages 20-39.
• Brain tumors may be either malignant or non-malignant (“benign”), but can be life-threatening in either case.

Why is this important to me?  Because on April 5, 2011 I had surgery for a brain tumor and on April 6, 2011 I learned it was a malignant Glioblastoma.

In order to raise awareness about this issue, I am pledging to do max-rep, strict pull-ups every day for the month of May.  What does this mean?  I will do as many pull-ups as I can without letting go, every day during May.  And while I do each pull-up, I will be thinking about what else I can do to raise awareness about this important issue.

My significant other, Shawn, and our friend, Gene (aka Mean Gene), have taken this a step further, to support me.  They are doing pull-ups with weighted vests, the vests signifying the added struggle that having a cancerous brain tumor puts on your life.  They are pulling up a total of 60,000 pounds each during the month May, 1 pound for each new diagnosis this year.

I will post our progress updates, along with pictures and additional information on this site, so bookmark it and come back frequently.
What can you do? 

• If you are so inclined, you can do pull-ups with us. 
• If you would like, you can donate to one of the charities listed to the right.
• You can sign up for one of your local brain tumor events .  If you are in the Seattle area, I am going to have a team for the Seattle Brain Tumor Walk.  The walk is on September 22, 2012. 
• If you are the praying type, you can offer prayers for all of us who have had, have, or will have a primary brain tumor.
• You can support other events to raise awareness and find cures for cancer.  I will be doing the Relay for Life this June in Poulsbo, WA.

For those of you supporting me in this cause, thank you so very much for anything that you do.  Feel free to post your comments on the posts, and pictures.  I hope to get a gallery set up so that I can share our pull-up pictures, and you can share yours.  Feel free to email them to me for posting.