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Serendipity Patchwork & Quilting: Brenda Gael Smith

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January 20, 2024 By Brenda Gael Smith

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Brenda Gael Smith
brenda@serendipitypatchwork.com.au

PO Box 131, Avoca Beach
NSW 2251 Australia

Tel: +61 412530190

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Zig zags are patterns of the brave. They tell stor

Zig zags are patterns of the brave. They tell stories of detours that matter. Join me for Zig Zag Pizzazz at the Australasian Quilt Convention presented by @intocraft in Melbourne from 10-13 April 2025. Create energetic designs with flair and style using freeform piecing techniques.

#aqc2025 #australasianquiltconvention #australasianquiltconvention2025 #brendagaelsmithworkshop

My late husband, The Laundry King, is part of a gr

My late husband, The Laundry King, is part of a grim set of statistics. He had glioblastoma, an aggressive infiltrative form of brain cancer that has no cure. The median survival for glioblastoma is 12-15 months. That is, even with treatment, just 50% of glioblastoma patients survive this long after diagnosis. Only 5% of patients survive more than five years.

Living with a brain tumour is no picnic either. Depending on size and location, brain tumours bring neurological symptoms (seizures, headaches, progressive paralysis); cognitive decline affecting memory, concentration, decision-making and speech; physical fatigue; vision and sensory changes; and emotional and psychological effects.

Brain tumours represent a neglected illness, which places enormous challenges on the patient and family. It requires a much-increased research effort supported by the community and governments and more timely response so people can access support services. We were fortunate to be financially stable with practical family support but so many people do not have these resources.

Behind the statistics, every person has a story. And that is why I sent the Laundry King’s beach sandals to @braintumouraa to be part of today’s Head for the Hill awareness raising event at Parliament House in Canberra.

These shoes reflect my husband’s love for the beach - both swimming and sun bathing. The blood encrusted on his left shoe is from when he badly stubbed his toe as his mobility declined and tumour(s) disrupted the signals from his brain to his feet. I thought about cleaning them off but that seemed like erasing part of the story about how quickly a fit and healthy person can experience a precipitous decline. You never know which split second might be the zigzag bolt dividing all that went before from the everything that comes next.

I hope there are treatment breakthroughs to improve both survival and quality of life for brain tumour patients. In the meantime, I hope sharing a little of the Laundry King’s story helps raise awareness about this devastating disease.
#glioblastoma #headtothehill2024 #headtothehill

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