? Denise’s Dance — Walk Ahead 2026 ?
It’s hard to believe it’s been 17 years since I lost my mom.
My mom, Denise, passed away on June 30, 2009 from stage 4 glioblastoma multiforme. I still wish more than anything that she was here to see the life we’ve built and all the things she has missed. But one thing I’m incredibly grateful for is that, all these years later, we still have a tradition that brings our family together to remember her. ?
Just a few months after she died, UC Health held the very first Walk Ahead for Brain Tumor Discoveries. We put together a team at the last minute, called ourselves Denise’s Dance, made homemade shirts and signs, and walked in her memory.
And somehow, 17 years later, we’re still walking.
What started during one of the hardest times in our lives has become such a meaningful tradition for our family. Every year, Denise’s Dance gives us a reason to come together, remember my mom, and support research that can give more hope and more time to families facing a brain tumor diagnosis.
This year, we’ll be supporting the UC Brain Tumor Center at the 2026 Walk Ahead for Brain Tumor Discoveries on Sunday, October 18th.
If you’d like to walk with Team Denise’s Dance or make a donation in my mom’s memory, it would mean so much to me and my family. Every donation, big or small, helps support brain tumor research and the search for better treatments.
We walk for my mom. We walk for the families going through this now. And we keep walking in hope that someday, fewer families will have to say goodbye too soon.
