Linda R. Crover Needham
1950 - 2007
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Linda Needham was a long time member of
the BRAINTMR list and a fierce advocate for patients
with brain tumors and related conditions.
She served as a representative of The Healing
Exchange BRAIN TRUST to the North American Brain
Tumor Coalition.
She was overcome by complications from recurrence
of her brain tumor at noon on February 20, 2007.
We miss her already.
Donations to a Brain Tumor Action Week Scholarship
Fund in her memory can be made by credit card
or regular U.S. mail by indicating "In Memory
of Linda Needham" on the donation form (www.braintrust.org/donate).
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We are honored and deeply grateful that the
following donors have chosen to celebrate the life of
Linda Needham with a memorial gift to T.H.E. BRAIN TRUST.
Charles and Mary Crover & Family
Virginia and Bruno Astorino
John and Sandy Fowler of Windgate Insurance Agency
Nancy Mazzacone & Carlo Todaro
Ceclia Mullin from the BRAINTMR list
Employees of the Harriman, NY Post Office
Newburgh Relay for Life Survivorship Committee
(c/o Patricia Sansone, Vickie McKay and Pamela Denisi)
Message Memories of
Linda and from Linda
FROM CECILIA MULLIN:
I met Linda at my first visit to DC for brain tumor
action week and was so impressed with her courage and
knowledge and everything about her. She will be sorely
missed. She was such an inspiration to so many and she
was so helpful to so many on the list when dealing with
social security issues.
Linda we miss you. You are now at peace and have no
more suffering.
Peace and always hoping for the cure,
Cecelia m/o Kevin forever 17 and forever in our hearts
4/30/84 to 8/9/01
dx with AA3 12/14/00
Lancaster, OH (near Columbus)
"Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things,
and good things never die."
(Kevin's favorite quote when he was sick.)
www.lemonhead.org
FROM DIANE PHILIPS:
I have spent some time reading through some of Linda's
writings to the list. The message below, from a little
over two years ago, seemed to me to show Linda's amazing
strength and attitude in a way that has become familiar
to us here. She always had the ability to put her own
situation and concerns to the side when someone else
had what seemed to her to be a more urgent need.
And even when she became scared about the recurrence
late last summer and into the fall and winter, and dealt
with new issues as well, she had an incredible way of
articulating her feelings, drawing people toward her
instead of retreating into herself, and then somehow
brushing herself off for new battle.
But this message was my favorite "Linda"
message. I think that Linda found her own voice in her
journey and used it well. She most certainly did "take
it as far as she could." From here, it's up to
the rest of us.
Diane Phillips, d/o Ed Robinson gbm 6/99-10/00
FROM LINDA NEEDHAM:
From: Brain Tumor Research/Support [mailto:BRAINTMR@MITVMA.MIT.EDU]
On
Behalf Of Eredy@AOL.COM Sent: Saturday, February 05,
2005 2:29 AM
Subject: Sharing something wonderful that happened today
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re:awareness/advocacy
Hi all...just needed to ask for your positive thoughts
and prayers for a new client...her name is Shannon....I
received a Google alert today about an article in a
local paper....she is a brain tumor patient, having
trouble getting her social security and being evicted
from her home...I called the man who wrote the article,
and he gave me her phone number...I talked to her and
her boyfriend for almost 2 hours....her local dr does
not appear to have very much experience with bt's, and
did not think to mention to her that she might want
to see another dr....told her 3 years ago to watch and
wait, and she has not seen him since...she was just
approved for Medicaid, so I gave her my NO name and
number...told her to use my name to get a fast appt
and get in there...and offered to go with her for the
first appt...as she was
describing the changes in her life and the things she
can no longer do, I kept saying "Me too"....after
a while she started crying, saying that I am the first
person who understands...I gave her advice about Social
Security as well...
Then, I called the reporter back to give him an update..he
interviewed me over the phone for his radio show...and
is publishing another story in the newspaper tomorrow....he
plans to contact his peers at the larger papers in the
area (his paper is a small weekly) and ask them to pick
up the story of this couple, and my advocacy...
This is how awareness happens....one person at a time,
grassroots...and all of us have learned how to reach
out to others who are battling bt's...we are all advocates
for ourselves or our loved ones, and for all bt patients
as well...this reporter was surprised at the 'connectedness'
of the bt community...I caught his interest, and will
take it as far as I can...
Linda
