Brain Tumor Awareness Month (US)

People who have not had an experience related to a friend, family member or loved one might have a hard time imagining the devastation that can occur when a brain tumor is diagnosed. Even though the odds of having a brain tumor in one’s lifetime are rare at less than 1%, the effect on individuals as well as their families and communities can be beyond frightening in this population that is often overlooked. 

Brain Tumor Awareness Month is here to raise awareness in the minds and hearts of the public so that support, research and hope related to those facing brain tumors can continue and improve.

History of Brain Tumor Awareness Month

Brain Tumor Awareness Month acts as an opportunity to show support for those who have been affected by brain tumors, as well as raising awareness and promoting education about brain tumors. The National Brain Tumor Society (NBTS) founded the event and it is supported by a number of different non-profits as well as government agencies, such as the National Cancer Institute, the Children’s Brain Tumor Project, The Cure Starts Now and many others. The United States Congress first passed a resolution for marking Brain Tumor Awareness month in 2008. 

With the hope of funding research that will help with treatment, cures and prevention, as well as providing the support needed to affected families, Brain Tumor Awareness Month seeks to raise the public’s knowledge around this topic – working to create empowered and strong communities that can act as a lifeline for those who are diagnosed.

How to Observe Brain Tumor Awareness Month

Brain Tumor Awareness Month comes with a wide range of ways to get involved and participate. Show support with some of these ideas to get started with:

Go Gray in May

One way that the folks behind Brain Tumor Awareness Month encourage people to raise awareness for this event is by wearing gray throughout the month of gray. This might be a gray ribbon, gray clothing, or a gray mask for those who are immune compromised. The idea behind Go Gray in May is that “gray matter” is representative of the color of the brain cortex, containing important nerve cell bodies.

Head for the Cure, an non-profit organization that supports brain cancer patients and their families, offers a shop with a number of different items that can be purchased with their logo, in support of brain cancer awareness and Go Gray in May. 

Make a Donation to Brain Tumor Research

This month is an excellent time to get involved by offering financial support to one of the many organizations that provides help for those affected by brain tumors, as well as funding research for a cure. Here are just a few of the many organizations that are doing such work and might be taking a closer look at to potentially offer a donation:

• National Brain Tumor Society
• Brain Tumor Network
• American Brain Tumor Association
• Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation