I wanted to take a moment to speak about Ramachandran Krishnamoorthy. He was my friend. He was the first in person GBM survivor I had ever met, and I felt a strong connection with him and his family. We became quite close, celebrating holidays and special occasions together. Sharing sleep overs and special parties: It was an important relationship in my life. When I was diagnosed in 2005, not only were there no GBM survivors in my area, but there were also no young adult survivors either! When I became well enough, I offered to mentor brain cancer survivors or any young adults who were feeling like they had no hope or options. In late 2008, through the Community Cancer Center, I was introduced to Ram and his family. I assume I was recommended since I am such a positive person about my journey and they were understandably having a hard time with his diagnosis. Most people relate to my diagnosis with either “My such and such relative had that, they died” or “You’re such a miracle.” Needless to say, it was nice to offer guidance that was not quite so negative. Someone else who was going through what I went through who needed a bit of motivation for keeping up the faith that everything was going to work out.
       

Over the next two years Ram experienced many things that I did not including reoccurrence three times, applying for clinical trails, and choosing not to get anymore surgery. I did my best to offer advice and motivation, but this was territory where his decisions were his own. However, I was always there for his wife and family to answer questions or spend time with them. Most of the time, I spent time with his family more than Ram since fatigue hit him incredibly hard. He was a constant fighter and he did his absolute best fighting cancer his way. Sadly, he passed away in November 2010. I have never felt such sadness as when he passed. His family and I kept in touch for a brief period of time but over the years many events have come to pass that have taken them out of my life. As such, the scholarship has always been at the discretion of the Ending Cancer in Our Generation board of directors independently of his family. However, should events ever change the door is always open for their involvement.
      

Ram was more to me than just a fellow survivor friend. No one in my life (save my husband) believed in me as much as Ram did. To Ram, there was nothing I could not accomplish. In his eyes, I could accomplish anything and everything I set my heart and mind towards. He was an amazing man and I am honored to have known him and to keep his name and memory alive in the form of this scholarship. Although Ram was not an artist (in fact he told me that being from India he actually did not really believe in following your dreams - he had a PHD in a science I could not even pronounce and was working for a small company inside of State Farm.), he always supported the artwork I made and told me often to follow my dreams to make video games and art. He even participated in the Cards for Cancer program making cards for patients at the Cancer Center and made some very good work. I suspect he may have been a closet artist but didn’t want to admit it.



So, in his name every year our organization will give out at least one art scholarship to a fellow cancer survivor to pursue an artistic pursuit that cancer put on hold. We are trying to help survivors spread their artistic vision and make the world a more beautiful place. There will be special consideration given to Glioblastoma Multiforme survivors. The scholarship will be open year round and will be given at the board of director’s discretion for date with at least one scholarship a year provided suitable applicants are found. Thank you for reading about my friend and I hope to make Ram proud with this scholarship. I miss you Ram and I always will.

<3 Always,
Jetty