Running for a great cause in Moorestown
Two years ago, Brad Zimmerman was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor that robbed him of his hearing in one ear — and severely impacted his balance.
Two months from now, he’ll be running 26.2 miles with his wife, Terry, in the Boston Marathon.
The couple is showing their appreciation for the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, whose skilled surgeon, Dr. Michael McKenna and his team, successfully removed the two-and-a-half centimeter tumor from Brad’s brain on May 28, 2010. The Zimmermans are running with the “Team Eye and Ear 2012” for MEEI in the upcoming race, which will be held on April 16, and they’ll be raising money for the organization’s neurology fellowship.
So far, the Zimmermans have raised more than $16,000 for the organization that helped save Brad’s life.
“My wife and I aren’t into the drama thing. Yes, I survived the brain tumor, but we’re doing this because we want to get the word out about Mass Eye and Ear. It was only through the grace of God and a neighbor’s help that we found this place,” Brad said.
It’s been a long and interesting path for Brad and Terry since May 2010, when Brad was first diagnosed with a vestibular schwannoma (acoustic neuroma) brain tumor. For months prior to the diagnosis, Brad noticed hearing in one ear was beginning to decline, which he said he thought was a side effect from working for years in law enforcement.
He didn’t think too much about it and despite his doctor telling him to get an MRI, he put it off. But when Brad tried to apply for an increase to his long-term care insurance, the company said he must get an MRI before he could be approved.
The couple, living in the Bahamas at the time, traveled to Washington, D.C., so Brad could get his MRI.
“I thought I’d have the MRI in one day and then go home. After the procedure, about an hour later, the doctor told me I had this tumor,” Brad said, remembering the diagnosis. “From then on, I went and searched for a doctor. From what we found on YouTube and the Internet, it was a very delicate surgery.”
The tumor is slow-growing, Brad said, and can go for years without being noticed. They can permanently damage the hearing and balance nerves in the brain because they press up against the brain stem and cerebellum.
The big problem with the surgery, Brad said, is that it ends up giving people a level of facial paralysis because the tumor is so close to the facial nerve.
After many hours researching and meeting with different doctors and surgical teams, Brad said a neighbor in the Bahamas suggested he check out the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary in Boston.
“He had had throat cancer and he told me that Mass Eye and Ear focuses mainly on the head and throat. He was saved by Dr. Dan Deshcler and he offered to get a hold of Dan for me to give me some advice,” Brad said. “I got a hold of Dan, (and) he turned me on to Dr. Mike McKenna at the organization because it was his specialty. We flew up there and had the surgery a month later. We spent 35 days in Boston leading up to the 12-hour surgery. It was May 28, 2010.”
His doctor carefully cut the tumor away from his facial nerve for 12 hours, Brad said, and luckily was able to save the crucial nerve.
It’s a long-term recovery though, Brad said, and for the next year, he experienced balance difficulties, crushing intermittent headaches and facial paralysis.
However, after more than a year, Brad said he slowly regained full use of his face, the balance difficulties disappeared and the headaches have abated.
He did lose hearing in his right ear because his right auditory and vestibular nerve were removed during the surgery.
But now, Brad’s back to his old self, which means he and Terry can enjoy running together again — one of their shared passions.
The couple had run marathons prior to Brad’s brain tumor and it was a natural step to raise money for MEEI through their love for recreational jogging.
“We were so thankful that this facility was there for us. We had such great treatment and experience, that we wanted to give back. One of the events that they have is their Team Eye and Ear, which they host to participate in the Boston Marathon each year. The team has 54 runners, who fundraise prior to the marathon,” Brad said. “It was a natural thing for us to do.”
Terry actually ran with the team last year while Brad was recovering — and she raised $10,000 for MEEI. This year, the couple has already eclipsed that mark by $6,000 and still has several weeks to raise even more money.
The couple is still looking for donations, so if you wish to help out MEEI, visit their team page at www.crowdrise.com/TeamEyeAndEar/fundraiser/BradandTerryZimmerman.
You can donate directly to the couple through the website or you can send checks to directly to Kristina Sym, Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary Development Office, 243 Charles St., Boston, Mass., 02114.
