On Saturday, September 7, Humor to Fight the Tumor Foundation held its 16th annual gala. 550 people attended and $418,000 was raised in net proceeds for brain tumor research and patient services. To date, Humor to Fight the Tumor Foundation has raised over $4.4 million dollars. The gala featured remarks from event founder Joelle Syverson and Dr. Elizabeth Neil from the University of Minnesota. Parts of the evening included live and silent auctions, and comedy by Bob Stromberg, as well as a video showing stories of hope and determination provided by our four honorees: Courtney Bevans, Jim Carlson, Isaac Gorham, and Jordy Hanson.
Honorees
Courtney Bevans (26 years old)
In 2015 I was attending St. Cloud State University to become a registered nurse. After experiencing extreme daily headaches for a few months, and after a friend was diagnosed with astrocytoma, I felt a nudge to see a doctor. An MRI concluded that I have a brain tumor. Due to its location there is nothing that can safely be done to remove it.
I hit the 4-year survivor mark this summer. On September 7th, 2018, I required emergency surgery and a 28-day hospital stay after a serious brain bleed. I am blessed from love and support of family and friends, and I know that my mom is with me each and every day. I know that my strength, courage, and attitude have helped me persevere through it all.
Jim Carlson (12/10/1951-4/18/2017)
Jim will be forever remembered for his love of his family. He was an amazing husband, father, grandfather, son, sibling and friend to many. Jim had a great love for the outdoors and enjoyed hiking, fishing and camping with his family. Jim had a joyful, positive attitude and great sense of humor that saw him through his 5-year battle with a cancerous brain tumor.
Isaac Gorham (28 years old)
Isaac was a second-year medical student on his way to becoming a Cardiovascular Surgeon at the University of North Dakota. Isaac started having severe headaches and “blackouts,” followed by two grand mal seizures. A biopsy was sent to Mayo Clinic and 10 days later the results came back as Glioblastoma. We were devastated. Even so we remain hopeful for a cure for Glioblastoma and healing options for strokes. Our faith remains strong and we are surrounded by so many people that love and care for us. We appreciate each person God has put in our lives to walk Isaac and our family through this journey.
Jordy Hansen (13 years old)
On March 2, 2017, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor during an MRI which was later diagnosed as Medulloblastoma. I had surgery to remove the tumor, 6 weeks of proton beam radiation at Mayo and 4 rounds of chemo at Children’s. I have been declared cancer free and am working hard to regain my strength and deficits since surgery. I live in Orono with my parents, two sisters and our golden retriever. My favorite things to do are hockey, golf, baseball and hang out with friends and family.
