Brain Tumor Awareness Month 2023: Practicing Resilience Through Gratitude & Self Care

May is Brain Tumor Awareness Month. This year, we celebrate practicing resilience, gratitude, and self-care. Join Pacific Neuroscience Institute for a series of in-person and virtual special events. Jump to individual events using the links below.

Head to the Hill | Wellness Wednesdays | Tapping Tuesdays | Brain Tumor Support Group | Care Partner Social | Walk for Brain Tumor Awareness | Social Media | Brain Tumor Webinars

Raising Awareness for Brain Tumors

Our brain tumor patients and their loved ones often report that they feel unseen, overshadowed, and isolated. A “rare” or “uncommon” diagnosis of a brain tumor can be challenging, in part because the signs and symptoms of the disease or the impact of the treatment may not be externally visible, despite the havoc wreaked on the mind and body.

We want to recognize and honor our resilient and incredible patients and their loved ones and use the opportunity to #GoGrayinMay together to do so.

During Brain Tumor Awareness Month in May, we host a series of educational, informative, and fun events for the brain tumor patient and care partner community to come together and interact, socialize, express themselves, ask questions, learn about specific topics, and share their own experiences.

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Go Gray In May: Calendar of Events

Head to the Hill

Date & Time: May 8th to May 9th
Location: Washington, D.C.

Join Akanksha Sharma, MD, and members of the brain tumor community on the Hill to raise your voice and make positive change. No prior experience is needed, and the National Brain Tumor Society will help prepare you for the congressional meetings. During the in-person event, you’ll receive training and in-depth knowledge of our policy requests and learn how to effectively communicate these positions to members of Congress and their staff. Registration is required by Friday, April 14th.

• Registration is open to all patients, caregivers, family, friends, researchers, and clinicians.
• Anyone participating in congressional meetings must register separately and complete all the required trainings. Participants under the age of five do not need to register.
• Each registrant must have their own unique email address and registration.
• Registration closes on Friday, April 14, 2023.

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Tapping Tuesdays

Join us for a series of in-person touch tapping classes with Rebecca Crane-Okada, PhD, RN. No registration required.

>> Download PDF flyer

Touch Tapping

Dates: Tuesday, May 2nd & May16th
Time: 12:30-1:30 PM PST
Location: Flora Thornton Conference Room (4th floor), Providence Saint John’s Health Center

Learn about touch tapping and guided meditation through fingerholds to improve your overall health, boost your energy levels, reduce anxiety and stress, minimize insomnia, and increase a sense of calm.

These classes are open to all patients, caregivers, family, friends, researchers, and clinicians.

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Wellness Wednesdays

Join us for a series of virtual mindfulness classes with life-coach Sujata Dube, MA. Discover mind-body skills to manage stress, practice self-care, and strengthen resilience. Registration required.

>> Download PDF flyer

Mindfulness Through Breathing

Date & Time: Wednesday, May 10th, 4:30-5:30 PST
Location: One-time Zoom will be emailed to you with registration.

Mindfulness is the state of being where both mind and body engage to stay present and fully experience acceptance of sensations, emotions, and thoughts of events happening in and out of you. A powerful way to be mindful is to do breathing meditations. Come enjoy learning how to use your breath to enter into a state of awareness that reduces anxiety, relieves pain, strengthens resilience, and increases a sense of peace and relaxation.

Reflective Writing for Gratitude

Date & Time: Wednesday, May 24th, 4:30-5:30 PST
Location: One-time Zoom will be emailed to you with registration.

Reflective writing is a form of expressive meditation that combines mind and body to think through, observe, imagine, and reframe problems, issues, or challenges we go through. By deliberately writing reflectively, we can rewire the body’s neurology for positive outcomes and expectations, especially when we search for moments of gratitude. Come learn a technique that combines guided imagery and reflecting writing that enhances a sense of safety, creates a positive mood, makes a mindset of satisfaction and gives a sense of rest and relaxation.

These classes are open to all patients, caregivers, family, friends, researchers, and clinicians. Registration is required.

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Brain Tumor Support Group

Date & Time: Thursday, May 11th, 4:30-5:30 PST
Participants: Patients under 50, and care partners

Date & Time: Thursday, May 25th, 4:30-5:30 PST
Participants: Patients 50 and over, and care partners

Virtual: Zoom details will be emailed to you with registration.

Topic: The Science of Gratitude and Developing a Practice | Dr. Akanksha Sharma

Join brain tumor patients and their loved ones for a special support group. You will have the opportunity to share your brain tumor journey and socialize with brain tumor patients at Pacific Neuroscience Institute.

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Care Partner Social

Date & Time: Thursday, May 25th | 5:30-7:30pm
Topic: Self-Care Through Community
Location:
Cancer Support Community Los Angeles (CSCLA)
1990 S. Bundy Drive, #100, Los Angeles, CA 90025

We invite past and present care partners to gather, debrief, share and learn from each other in a safe space. We will also learn about some techniques that can help the care partner in their own journey. Registration required.

Refreshments will be served.

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FINALE!
Brain Tumor Awareness – Events &
Brain Tumor Awareness – Walk

Date: Wednesday, May 31st
Events Time: 10am – 1pm
Walk Time: 1pm
Location: Flaherty Commons, Providence Saint John’s Health Center, 2121 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, CA 90404

Join us in an in-person celebration with informational booths, followed by our awareness walk!

Our grand finale event is a special walk around the hospital for patients, caregivers, loved ones, advocates, and staff. Join our morning events at Flaherty Commons for guest presentations from the American Brain Tumor Association, PNI’s Lifestyle Program, and a catered lunch.

This event is open to all patients, caregivers, family, friends, researchers, and clinicians. Registration is not required.

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And There’s More!

Social Media

Raise awareness for brain tumor treatment and research in May by wearing GRAY ribbons, clothes, and masks. Help spread the word to friends, family, and colleagues by tagging @pacificneuro and #gograyinmay on social media.

Gratitude Tree

Come visit our Gratitude Tree in the Cancer Center Waiting Room (Level G, Saint John’s) and start your practice of gratitude – what are you grateful for in your day, despite the challenges of this journey?

Webinars, Videos, & Blogs

Watch our website for current and new releases of our webinars, videos, and blog posts that are all dedicated to raising awareness of and celebrating our brain tumor patient and caregiver community.

Care Partners: Look for the roll out of our “How-To” instructional videos directed especially at family and loved ones.

Podcasts

Listen to two very special podcast episodes of Think Neuro – one with our brilliant and resilient patients “What NOT to Say to a Cancer Patient” and one with two incredible caregivers “What I Learned as a Caregiver.” Releasing on the second and third Wednesdays in May wherever you get your podcasts!

Bingo!

Play our Brain Tumor Awareness (BTA) Month Bingo!
As you attend in-person sessions or virtual support group meetings, watch our webinars, or listen to our podcasts, you can mark it off on your BTA BINGO SHEET and bring it on BTA-Day, May 31st, to receive a special gift!

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Do you have questions about any of these events?

Find out more at 310 829 8265

Events organized by Pacific Neuroscience Institute (PNI) and affiliated hospital Providence Saint John’s Health Center.