To recognize Glioblastoma Awareness Day, the Georgia Cancer Center and Augusta Aviation honored two local patients at Daniel Field on Wednesday, July 17, who have had an enormous impact on the community.
Glioblastoma, a rare form of neurological cancer that grows rapidly, affects approximately 350 Georgians every year and shows a significantly low survival rate, according to Dr. Gerald Wallace, assistant program director of neurology for the Georgia Cancer Center and Wellstar MCG.
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“It’s a challenging disease to say the least … and if left untreated it will cause death in one to three months of being identified,” Wallace said. “Among the tumors that arise in the brain, it is unfortunately one of the most common. You cannot earn this disease. No amount of smoking, drinking, abstinence – whatever – will ever get this disease. It just happens.”
Although many are unaware of glioblastoma’s existence, Wallace said it commonly affects those around retiring age and it is always a shock.
“I have seen neonates and 92 year olds with glioblastoma,” he said. “Most patients won’t have symptoms for more than about one to three months, which makes it a bit hard to recognize any faster than that.”
After being diagnosed in April, Brad Kyzer, a former Aviation Commissioner who passionately serves on the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Augusta board, said he sold his beloved Piper J-3 Cub plane to Augusta Aviation at an enormous rate to give back to the community.
“Well, I gave them a big discount to sort of give it back to the kids in our community, so they can have a chance to fly,” he said.
Kyzer was honored by Augusta Aviation for his countless flight hours at Daniel Field and acting as chairman for several years of the Boshears Sky Fest.
Becky Shealy, vice president of business development at Augusta Aviation, said Kyzer’s “servant’s heart,” “passion” and “commitment” for the aviation industry would always be remembered.
“But your spirit of giving back is prevalent above all that,” she said. “… and today we’re going to dedicate this airplane to glioblastoma awareness in honor of all the contributions [Kyzer] has made to aviation in this community.”
Kyzer, who was recognized with a silver ribbon decal by Aviation Augusta on his cub plane for glioblastoma awareness, said he was grateful for the ceremony because he believes it can make others aware of glioblastoma.
“Makes people more aware of what’s going on in different places. I mean I never knew anything about what I have until a few months ago,” he said.
Although the plane will no longer be owned by Kyzer, Shealy said the yellow Cub would always be “Brad’s Cub” and those training in it during procedures would remember him.
Honored alongside Kyzer, Rachel Mack, who served as the deputy general counsel for nine years and is on the Daniel Field’s aviation commission and recently retired due to a tumor in her brain stem, said she was deeply touched to know her work positively affected Augusta.
“I have no words. I didn’t realize I had that much of an effect on people,” she said after shedding some tears at the ceremony. “I was just amazed because I thought it was going to be a small ceremony, but when I saw all these people and all the love they have for us, I thought ‘wow.’”
Known as one of Augusta’s top lawyers, Mack, who was diagnosed in late May with glioblastoma after experiencing daily migraines, was hallmarked at the ceremony by Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson and former Augusta General Counsel Wayne Brown.
“Today is special in that we get to honor someone who I say Is a quiet storm. She’s contributed so much to this community, and she’s done it so quietly but effectively,” said Johnson. “It’s an honor on behalf of this great city to say we’re going to miss her.”
Johnson said Mack has been described to him as a “godsend and a genius.”
Holding back tears, Brown said Mack has an unmatchable sense of responsibility and is always true to her word.
“She doesn’t quit. She is reliable and most of all, she is a pleasure to work with,” he said. “Rachel would be an asset to any law department, to any firm of any size, and to several countries … she is so talented.”
Once diagnosed, such as Mack and Kyzer’s cases, Wallace said life with a brain tumor can be extremely challenging for patients as symptoms can include seizures, hallucinations and headaches, sometimes daily.
However, glioblastoma affects everyone differently, and could leave some patients looking perfectly healthy on the outside, but suffering severely on the inside, especially with depression and anxiety, Wallace described.
“It’s very important to realize that these people are among us and everywhere, and they need our respect and recognition,” said Wallace.
Treatment often involves surgery and intense radiation everyday for three to six weeks, which Wallace said can be the most “onerous” part of the process.
“Most patients will live about 12 to 22 months with aggressive intervention,” he said. “… so we need to work a lot harder to find a cure or some way to improve the outcomes. It’s one of the cancers that has resisted all of our efforts over the last 20 to 25 years to improve survival.”
Wallace said there is an enormous push everywhere to make “dents” in the treatment of glioblastoma, but especially in Augusta at the Georgia Cancer Center as the disease also devastatingly affects newborns at random.
Through the aviation ceremony, Wallace hopes more locals will find out about the significance of glioblastoma and its severity for hundreds of Georgians.
To find out more about glioblastoma and the Georgia Cancer Center’s approaches to combat it, visit: https://www.augustahealth.org/cancer-care/brain-and-neuro-oncology-cancer
