Robert Brams

Bethesda, MD
Survivor
Twist on Cancer: 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. In any tough situation, you do what you have to do to overcome it.

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 less than 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 either. 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! I definitely believe in miracles and power of positivity and optimism. I always maintain a positive mindset!

Over ten 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! In 2019, I needed a second brain surgery followed by radiation and chemotherapy. 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 still be alive and to be productive in a valuable way.

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 for the world is how I deal with having brain cancer!

Despite all I’ve been through, somehow I remain — happy. More than ever, I appreciate every sunrise and the blessing of every day. Trying to help the world by beating cancer has given me purpose. Maybe having a purpose is the key to happiness. 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.