Jen’s Words Live on

Her doctor was very good in laying out a treatment plan and because of how well Jen had responded to the chemo drug “Temodar”, her doctor suggested that we begin back on that course of treatment immediately. Unfortunately, the Temodar didn’t seem to be having the wonderful effect on her that it once did and her symptoms began to worsen. Over the course of the next 8 months, Jen received daily care from her parents, family and friends while she cycled through a variety of drugs including Temodar, Avastin, CCNU, and a combination of both. With each passing month, the MRI scans were getting better. The tumors were shrinking in some cases and were stable in others. But strangely enough, during this same time period, her symptoms continued to worsen. Slowly she began losing strength in her left side and began slurring her speech. Often times, her legs would give out while she was walking or standing making getting around increasingly difficult. It became harder and harder for her to use her hands and she often found herself choking on liquids and on some foods. At first we thought that it may be a reaction to some of the drugs that she was taking, but in the end, her doctor told us that although the original 3 tumors were in fact not continuing to grow, other tumors that were not visible on the MRI were in fact growing and causing these symptoms to worsen. Over the course of 8 months her doctor tried, through the use of various drugs, to reduce the symptoms and stop the growth of these new tumors. As the months went by it became increasingly difficult and ultimately impossible for Jen to walk, care for herself, drink, speak, swallow and eat. Her main form of communication had become, using a printed communication board to point to letters to spell out what she wanted to say. Despite all the best attempts by Jen and her doctor to stop the decline, by the end of June, she had become unable to leave the house any longer to be able to get her treatments. By the beginning of July, she had become bedridden and unable to eat and had for the most part completely lost the ability to communicate except for a “thumbs up” or a “thumbs down” to indicate yes or no.

On July 11, 2014, Jen began in-home Hospice care to help us ensure that Jen’s last days would be as pain free as possible. In fact, if there is a blessing at all to be found in the last 9 months, it is that Jen had very little pain throughout the whole process. On July 14, 2014, Jen took her last breath here on Earth. She was surrounded by those who loved her and the end of her time here on Earth was very peaceful. She was just 35-years old with an (almost) 5-year old son. Our hearts are broken and we are still trying to figure out how to go on without her.

The Gray Matters Brain Cancer Foundation was started shortly after Jen was diagnosed back in 2010. We started the foundation with the hopes of raising money to help provide the necessary funding for the critical research needed to finally put an end to this terrible disease. In the past four years, we have donated more than $300,000 toward brain cancer research. We wish that the cure would have been found while Jen was still here with us, but it didn’t come fast enough for her. But for us, this isn’t the end. We are now, more than ever, determined to continue to raise money to fund research so that maybe, just maybe, someone else could be spared the end that Jen had to endure.

From the first day she was diagnosed, Jenny didn’t just tell us how to handle the diagnosis. She showed us. Every day she showed us how to be strong. How to be positive and how to live life to the fullest. She set the bar high and for the next 4 ½ years she kept her strength, positive attitude, strong will and sense of humor until the very end. We recently came across a quote from Stuart Scott that really embodies the spirit of Jennifer:

"When you die, it does not mean that you lose to cancer. You beat cancer by how you live, why you live and in the manner in which you live... So live.. LIVE! Fight like hell and when you get too tired to fight, then lay down and rest and let some else fight for you."

Jenny fought like hell and she did not lose to cancer. She beat cancer by the way she fought. She beat cancer by the way she lived. Now that she is at rest, we will continue her fight until no one ever has to endure this battle again.

Jennifer’s Wake and Funeral Mass were wonderful testaments to the kind of person she was. This video was played after the Funeral Mass as a beautiful memorial to a life taken way too soon. We hope it allows you to get to meet the beautiful person that we called our sister.

Thanks for stopping by and taking some time to visit with us. Remember, together with your help, we WILL see an end to brain cancers.

Brian & Kathy Stewart

​You're a statistic of one. No two tumors are alike. No one shares your genetic makeup and your unique brain structure. This doesn't mean you have to face this journey alone. It does mean that as you explore treatment options and success rates of various procedures, you cannot assume that the statistics that you encounter apply to you.

Dr. Peter Black, Neurosurgeon