Brain Matters, Inc. is recognized by the IRS as a 501 (c) (3) public charity. Our purpose is to promote medical research of brain and skull base tumors by supporting hospitals and medical centers conducting medical research in the area of brain and skull base tumors; to promote treatment for these tumors, and the non-profit organizations which support patients undergoing treatments for brain and skull based brain tumors. It has been created to bring awareness and educate the public about brain tumors; this is a personal mission. Heidi Gottlieb, the Founder and Director of Brain Matters was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor 34 years ago, she’s had two brain surgeries, and two rounds of radiation. She’s Still Standing…many others are not as lucky. Because brain cancer is relatively uncommon compared to other cancers, there isn’t enough attention given to the need for more fundraising and research. Non-cancerous brain tumors are equally uncommon, and can be just as life-threatening because of their location. It’s for that reason that Heidi Gottlieb walked 250 miles in 2011 on her fundraising walk, Walking Miles 4 Brain Matters. This was the same route she and her husband took every week for two months when she was being treated at Mass General Hospital’s Francis H. Burr Proton Therapy Center. During Walking Miles 4 Brain Matters, Heidi stopped in neighborhoods and towns along the way, reached out to the people in those towns, and spoke at several schools and organizations. This walking event helped create a short film about the cause. Brain Matters funds raised during the walk were donated towards brain tumor research at Mass General Hospital’s Brain Tumor Research Center, as well as to other medical research for brain tumors and early detection. The walk and filming of the documentary was just the beginning of what we’ve accomplished. We continue to do an annual fundraiser and dream of other activities which may be necessary, useful, or suitable for the furtherance, accomplishment or attainment of our goal…to detect brain tumors earlier, and find a cure for them.
