Joseph’s Journey Against Glioblastoma

06/02/2026

06/01/2026

https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28039 Ming Chen, Zdravka Medarova, Anna Moore

06/01/2026

But they do and it’s so unfair

One thing families should never have to worry about while their child is fighting cancer… is how they’ll afford the basics.

Gas. Groceries. Rent. Hotel stays. Meals. Transportation.

These burdens become overwhelming during treatment, and no family should have to carry them alone.

At Small But Mighty Heroes, we step in so families can focus on what matters most: their child. 💛

Together, we can lighten the load and remind families they are never fighting alone.

🌐 Learn more: www.smallbutmightyheroes.org

💛 Donate: https://givebutter.com/SMBHdonate

Cash App- $smallbutmightyheroes

Zelle- 8137724584



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06/01/2026

Brain Tumour/Cancer Awareness Month draws to an official close today but the fight for better treatments and outcomes for our children never ends.
Thank you to all of the inspirational famiies who shared their stories with us throughout May 🩶

06/01/2026

Cancer Survivors Month begins today!

At Children's Cancer Cause, we’re committed to making survivorship not just possible, but powerful—for every child and adolescent diagnosed with cancer.

https://www.childrenscancercause.org/national-cancer-survivors-month

06/01/2026

For the last day of brain cancer awareness month I wanted to reshare Joseph’s story from the beginning.
“Joseph is a 16-year-old local to the 209 area. At the beginning of the year (2023), he began to experience debilitating headaches, and nothing seemed to help the pain. The ER kept saying he had post-concussion syndrome from a fall but did nothing else to assess him. Joseph is a great student who excelled, but the pain began to affect his school too. His teachers cruelly accused him of faking/ lying about the pain!😡They said Joseph would sit and stare off into space without expression. On January 4th, 2023, around 2:30 in the morning, Joseph’s mom woke up to him standing in front of her with his right hand sticking out, he seemed frozen, and as his mother called his name, he never responded. An ambulance was called and he was taken to the ER, where he received a CT scan. This showed a mass located in the temporal lobe of his brain. From there, Joseph was transferred to Stanford Children's Pediatric Hospital. On the way there, Joseph was still experiencing seizures, and once reaching there, he underwent an EEG. The first night it was calculated he had 7 seizures. On January 18th, he underwent a craniotomy to extract as much of the tumor as possible, and thankfully it was all removed! On the 22nd, pathology revealed that the cancer was Stage IV Glioblastoma. 3 weeks later, Joseph began radiation and chemotherapy. He officially finished radiation and the first rounds of chemo in April. Scans after radiation showed some swelling, but that was to be expected. The radiation was a battle that exhausted Joseph, but he was determined to push through it. This will be a continuous cycle that Joseph has to undergo for 10-12 months.” - this was written within the first year of his fight.

Now it’s 2026 and Joseph has been fighting for 3 years which is a miracle in its self considering the low survival rates for GBM. Right before Joseph was diagnosed his mom had just beat cancer and lost her kidney as a result. Within such a short time frame that fight for life transferred to her youngest son. It truly breaks my heart. If you can give anything at all, please know that it goes directly toward keeping Joseph safe, housed, and able to continue his fight. No amount is too small. Even sharing this helps.

If anyone needs proof, his mom sent me images of these bills and the SSI letters, IRS letter stating garnishments, or anything.

🔗: https://www.gofundme.com/f/vcw5g-josephs-journey?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1mlO4ECq2kjOPpTqWjpd6hVi924TloEJm6_KSvDyzli3Zt2mgOmVpNsWE

🟢CashApp: $17buttons

06/01/2026

There are only hours left to make twice the impact for children battling brain tumors.

Your gift will be MATCHED dollar-for-dollar, up to $50,000, but only for a few more hours. That means your donation provides double the funding for lifesaving research and double the support for families when they need it most.

Time is running out. Be a champion for these children and their families. Please, donate now and double your impact: curethekids.org/btam26

06/01/2026

The heat is the Central Valley is beyond unbearable and for Joseph who underwent a major brain surgery due to glioblastoma his body is forever changed by that tumor. Every summer his family has to struggle to keep their air and AC on because he cannot regulate his body temperature and many people don’t understand what a privilege it is to have a working body not affected by a brain tumor when you’re 16 years old.

His mom recently pawned some family heirlooms so they don’t run out of food and were also able to put $400 towards rent and $111 on PG&E also thanks to to truly kind followers and supporters. So now they owe $700 to rent and $500 to PG&E.

In April, Joseph’s mother finally had her Social Security benefits reinstated after they had previously been stopped. She was also issued back pay that was supposed to help them catch up on essential bills and stabilize their situation. But before they could even use those funds, the IRS garnished the money, claiming there was a debt owed. What makes this even more devastating is that Social Security had already stated she did NOT owe an overpayment. The money was reimbursed to her, only for the IRS to immediately take it leaving this family right back in crisis. This family is not asking for luxuries. They are simply trying to survive while caring for a child fighting an aggressive brain cancer. Having their reinstated Social Security funds taken away has added an enormous amount of stress. If you are able to help in any way, it would mean more than words can express.
Cashapp: $17buttons
GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/vcw5g-josephs-journey?utm_campaign=p_lico+share-sheet&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1mlO4ECq2kjOPpTqWjpd6hVi924TloEJm6_KSvDyzli3Zt2mgOmVpNsWE

06/01/2026

May held five observances that all sit close to our community: brain cancer, bladder cancer, and skin cancer awareness, plus National Cancer Research Month and Oncology Nursing Month.

We didn't get to spotlight each one as the month went on, but they're worth naming together. AYA patients have historically been underrepresented in cancer research, which is part of why National Cancer Research Month matters so much to the people we support. And the oncology nurses behind every treatment plan carry a weight that often goes unseen.

To the young adults living with these diagnoses, the researchers searching for better answers, and the nurses who care for them through all of it, thank you. We're grateful for you, this month and every month.