Robert Brams

Bethesda, MD
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: We all face hardships, but after going through what I did, I truly believe we all have the capacity to rise above any personal crisis with the right mindset. We’re stronger than we think. I believe that we all can rise to the occasion when we need to.
Here I was at age 55, living the life I had always dreamed of, but now It seems I’m fighting for my life. At the worst of it, I was given only a 1% chance of survival, I was the sickest person in the neuro ICU, and I was described as a “catastrophic loss.” The medical math had essentially given up on me. The statistics showed that I should have been dead years ago. But my family and friends never gave up on me, and I surely didn’t. Unfortunately, I’m at the final stage of my brain cancer, but I truly believe it’s not going to beat me. Blissful ignorance — maybe? My friends tell me I’ll be the last person standing!
Over seven years after my first surgery, I’m still feeling and seeing the effects of radiation and chemotherapy. I was essentially off the planet for the winter of 2015. I still have the cancer and will have regular MRIs for life, but I am truly grateful to be alive! We can dwell on how unlucky I was to be diagnosed with such a deadly cancer, but I prefer to focus on how thankful I am to have survived.
For 35 years, my passion was my family and my legal career. While family remains my passion, I had to retire from my law firm and have replaced that void with a new passion: that is, to help in the battle to beat brain cancer. I have an incredible medical team behind me from Hopkins, UCSF, and NIH. I’m proud to say I’ve received many best lawyer awards, but I now want to help the world in a more meaningful way. Feeling as though I’m doing something meaningful in the world is how I deal with having brain cancer!
Surprisingly enough, despite all that’s happened, I still feel happy. More than ever, I appreciate every sunrise and the blessing of every day. Trying to help the world in a meaningful way has given me purpose and has helped me to feel fulfilled. Feeling a sense of purpose is key. As we get older, we’re forced to take on new challenges. Life is not easy. While there may be some initial frustration over a challenge, ultimately, that frustration drives me to find the best path to the right solution. I appreciate that there is no such thing as failure; it’s just another opportunity to learn.
Hug your family members and your close friends because hugs spread warmth and energy, and we could all use more of that.