Ted Bracewell Memorial Fund

Total funds raised: $56,850

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Just after turning 50, my brother, Ted Bracewell, was diagnosed with a brain tumor. He had been struggling with headaches for a few months and attributed them to what he thought were changes in his vision. He was missing turns on his way to and from work, a route he had taken for many years. He visited his eye doctor to check his vision and had his prescription adjusted in hopes of finding relief. Unfortunately, his headaches continued to worsen until, one day, he woke up and was so violently ill, we rushed him to an urgent care facility. The doctor ordered an MRI and within hours had called to say that Ted had a large mass in his brain and that he should go directly to the emergency room. It was at Emory that he was eventually diagnosed with a Glioblastoma, a deadly form of brain cancer.

This would be the start of Ted's eleven-month battle with brain cancer. During this time, Ted underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor and endured months of chemo and radiation. While treatment at Emory was our first choice, unfortunately, there were no available or suitable trials for him there. We researched our options and ultimately ended up at Duke for additional treatment and trials. It was a blessing that Duke accepted him into a trial, however, the travel was extremely difficult for him. We wished there had been a treatment option for him in Atlanta. Ted was fortunate that his family had the means and the flexibility to go wherever he needed to be for treatment. Unfortunately, this isn't the case for every brain tumor patient.

Ted was very accepting of his disease and what the doctors were trying to do for him. He was always sweet and appreciative for any help he received and never outwardly complained, even though he was in a great deal of pain and very sick from the chemo. Ted was a fighter and was willing to keep trying new treatments to win the game. Unfortunately, after 10½ months of courageous fighting, he got the news that his cancer had returned and the trial he was on (which was making him very sick and robbing him of any quality of life) was no longer working. It was then that he made the decision to stop treatment and enjoy his family and friends without all the debilitating effects of chemo. We will be forever grateful for the few good weeks we had with him before he lost his battle and for the blessing of his life.

We have set up this fund in Ted's memory and have joined efforts with our dear friend, Beth Jordan, to help raise awareness and funds for innovative trials, advanced technology and recruitment of the best doctors at the Winship Brain Tumor Center at Emory University. Our hope is that through this fund, we will further enhance Emory's Brain Tumor Center, making it the best in the U.S. so that other Georgians, who might find themselves looking for help, won't have to look further than our own backyard for the best care and treatment. Please join me in honoring Ted's memory by contributing to the Ted Bracewell Memorial Fund.