The shock of the diagnosis of GBM was not new to our family. Steve's father, Harry, was diagnosed with this deadly disease in May of 2005. While his father battled the disease, Steve educated himself on treatment options and supported his family by doing anything he could to accommodate his father, such as building a handicap accessible bathroom in his parent's home. Sadly, Harry passed in December of 2006, leaving behind his wife, 6 children and their spouses, and 21 grandchildren. He was 76. While we grieved our grandfather's passing, we couldn't imagine we'd be coming face to face with this disease again. In December of 2014, Steve was at home preparing for a visit from his brothers when he experienced a seizure, causing him to lose consciousness. When he arrived at our local emergency room, doctors could not identify the cause of the seizure. Hours later, it was the neurologists and neurosurgeons at Penn that were able to say with certainty that a brain tumor had caused the seizure. Three days later, the tumor was removed without causing any significant deficits. He was home a day and half later and returned to work two weeks later. Upon receiving the devastating diagnosis, Steve was determined to do everything he could to not only beat the disease, but to also give hope to those battling GBM after him. He was able to make informed decisions about his care through diligent study and examination of the disease process. His unwavering faith and positive spirit fueled strength for all who knew him. For months after his diagnosis, Steve's doctors were amazed at how well he carried on his normal daily life working, sailing, and spending time with his family. He was enrolled in two immunotherapy trials at Penn after completing the standard of care treatment including radiation and chemotherapy. These treatments began to take a toll on Steve physically, but he never gave up hope. Unfortunately, the disease became resistant to medical intervention, and rapidly spread throughout his brain, most devastatingly into his brain stem, an inoperable area. With all options exhausted, he came home on comfort measures and passed surrounded by his family. In this moment, our family knew that we had to continue Steve's mission to find a cure for this disease.

Research is crucial for improved treatment and patient outcomes. Your donation will directly support The Neuro Translational Center of Excellence, which is a national center for personalized brain tumor therapy and is advancing the standard of care for patients. Through a collaborative partnership, the Penn Brain Tumor Center can utilize the advanced technologies needed to, not only increase survival rates, but maximize recovery of brain function after treatment. Penn Medicine is Philadelphia's only Adult Brain Tumor Consortium (ABTC) participant and offers clinical trials for patients not available elsewhere in the region, including novel chemotherapies, biologic response modifiers, genetic-based therapies, anti-tumor vaccines, and other immunotherapies. The researchers at Penn hope that immunotherapy will continue to improve the outcomes of those diagnosed with this aggressive brain cancer. Until a cure is found, donations like yours will be used to fund this ongoing research.