In April 2000 at the age of 17, Brainsgiving organizer Amanda Terfloth was diagnosed with a pituitary tumour and told that she would need to take medication with often harsh side effects for the better part of her adult life. Partial to being able to stand without passing out, (as most ‘spoiled’ teens are) Amanda and her family sought another opinion.
Through a referral from a McMaster physician, she ended up in the office of then St.Michael’s neurosurgeon Dr.Harley Smyth. On Dec.14, 2001 Dr.Smyth and the renowned Neurotrauma team at St.Mikes operated on Amanda and successfully removed the tumour.
After a few months of recovery, Amanda was completely medication free at the age of 19 (as opposed to the original estimate of “60’s... maybe longer”).
For the next 5 years, she would celebrate “Brainsgiving” every December with friends and family. B-Horror movies were often featured- as The Zombie is a symbol of ‘brain appreciation’ in its purest and perhaps, most eloquent form. The Brain shapes our instincts, personalities, abilities and lives so subconsciously, that it is easy to take it for granted until something goes wrong.
In August 2007, it dawned on Amanda that the best way to celebrate Brainsgiving would be to hold a fundraiser for the same Neurotrauma centre that changed her quality of life and saved the lives of so many others. Not the wine and cheese soiree sort, she spread word amongst her comedic brethren and solicited help to build a four foot brain out of unlikely household items. The INAUGURAL BRAINSGIVING FUNDRAISER was born.
All proceeds from the event will be donated to St. Mike's Neurotrauma ICU. St. Michael's Hospital is the designated downtown Toronto trauma centre for adults and is one of 12 lead trauma hospitals in Ontario. The Cara Phelan Centre for Trauma Research conducts leading-edge research on trauma prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, with an emphasis on head injury. Seventy per cent of our trauma patients have suffered some type of head injury, and neurosurgical intervention is required in the most severe cases. The Hospital's neurosurgical unit, one of the largest in Canada, specializes in traumatic brain injury and neurooncology (treatment of brain tumours).
Through a referral from a McMaster physician, she ended up in the office of then St.Michael’s neurosurgeon Dr.Harley Smyth. On Dec.14, 2001 Dr.Smyth and the renowned Neurotrauma team at St.Mikes operated on Amanda and successfully removed the tumour.