Local families to walk for brain tumor research

“You never think a cancer diagnosis is going to happen to you or to someone you love — especially a second time.”

Jamie Tunnell’s father, Snyder resident James Dale Putnam, was diagnosed with an Oligodendroglioma brain tumor in 2001 after experiencing a major seizure in December 2000. Doctors discovered the tumor and suspected that it had been growing since he was a teenager.

“When a diagnosis is made, you have two choices,” Tunnell said. “You can either let it define you, or you can fight and try to find a cure to help others. I was raised to never give up — especially when things get hard.”

James Putnam’s tumor was stabilized for 14 years until September 2015 when it started growing again. In January 2016, friends and family began to notice a change in his demeanor. They discovered that he had experienced a stroke caused by the radiation treatment he received in 2001. 

“It’s a path that we didn’t choose, but it’s the path that we’re on,” Cindy Putnam, James Putnam’s wife, said. “Anyone who faces an illness needs support. We have been blessed with the support of family, friends and our church family at 37th Street Church of Christ. We try to take one day at a time and realize that each day we have is a gift.”

To help fund brain tumor research, the National Brain Tumor Society holds walks to raise money. Last May, the Putnam family participated in a walk in Arlington, raising $12,425 to support brain tumor research.

“At the walk, you are surrounded by a community of people who understand what you are going through and are fighting a similar fight as you are fighting,” Tunnell said. 

On Nov. 18, the Putnam family will participate in another walk in Fort Worth along with Snyder resident Briella Hernandez and her family. 

At the age of 12, Hernandez was diagnosed with a Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG) brain tumor. She spent six weeks at St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis testing a trial drug along with radiation treatment. After returning home, she had a shunt placement to relieve pressure on the brain caused by an accumulation of fluid. 

“It all happened really quick,” Adriana Quiroz, Hernandez’ mother, said. “Until it happens to you, you aren’t really aware of it.”

In July, Hernandez and her family traveled to Hawaii with the Make a Wish Foundation, then returned to St. Jude’s earlier this month for more assessments. Hernandez’ brain tumor is stable and is smaller than it was during her last visit.

“Everything that goes into brain cancer research is privately funded,” Quiroz said. “Brain tumor awareness is something that people think about only when somebody they know has it. There’s not enough advocates for brain tumors out there. There’s not enough people saying, ‘this is an issue, and we need to find a cure.’”

This week, Oct. 21-28, is recognized as brain tumor awareness week, and brain tumor awareness month is recognized in May with the color gray.

“I don’t want to just go gray in May,” Quiroz said. “I want to go gray every day until a cure is found because right now there’s not a cure.”

Both the Hernandez and Putnam families want to raise awareness year-round, starting with the upcoming walk.

“I won’t give up on helping to raise money for research and bringing awareness to brain tumors,” Tunnell said. “I hope the money that we have raised will help at least one family so that they won’t have to go through everything that we’ve had to go through with this diagnosis.”

The families have raised $3,000 for the upcoming walk.

“Right now, we have 40 people on our team for the walk, and our motto is ‘Choose Joy,’” Tunnell said. “Meeting Briella and her family has been great. There will always be a special bond and friendship shared between our two families. I just wish we were able to meet them under different circumstances.” 

Quiroz said that the Putnam’s have been a blessing for her, as well.

“We have been extremely blessed to have their support,” she said. “Mrs. Putnam was my oldest’s fourth grade teacher, and as soon as she found out about Briella, she came over and was a big support for us. They gave us all kinds of information and advice.”

The Choose Joy team is taking donations for brain tumor research at events.braintumor.org.

T-shirts are being sold by The Embroidery Shop through Tuesday and may be ordered online at https://stores.inksoft.com/choose_joy.