Linda Rambin's Work Goes on Sale to Help Pay for Her Brain Cancer Clinical Trial

Linda Rambin's family is selling paintings to pay for a very expensive clinical trial to help save her life.

Louisiana artist Linda Rambin was diagnosed on Oct. 8, 2008, with Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Linda Rambin had a brain surgery at LSU Medical Center a week after the learning she had brain cancer. Linda's cancer had grown from 6cm to 9cm in week between her diagnoses and the brain surgery. Prior to Linda's brain surgery her neurosurgeon, Dr. Anil Nanda, explained to the Linda and the entire family the procedure and the predicted outcome. The family was told the surgery could be fatal and a complete loss of motor skills was possibility. Much to the family's surprise, Linda woke up only a few hours of having surgery and was able to talk, move the right side of her body and lift her head.

Following a ICU stay at LSU Medical Center, Linda was taken to St. Francis Hospital's acute rehabilitation center. Her oncologist, Dr. Coy Gammage gave the family a prognosis and treatment plan that included radiation of her entire brain and the use of the drug Temodar.

Linda has been undergoing a clinical trial with a large monthly copay of $4,500. That price is for just one of the medications used to treat her. Her daughter, Charly, is helping to sell her mother's paintings to help pay for the much needed treatment. You can visit Linda Rambin's website Paintings by Linda here. Linda has 17 beautiful paintings for sale. You can read more about Linda Rambin's story and progress on her Caring Bridge website

Linda's daughter, Charly, and friends are spreading the word about Linda's struggle with brain cancer on through all means possible including social networking sites like Twitter. On Twitter, tweets can go viral and the news of Linda's story is spreading. The story of Linda Rambin's paintings being sold is growing much like a glioblastoma multiforme tumor can. I spoke with Charly via email today and she told me, "The doctors told the her family that glioblastoma multiforme is a tumor that grows much like an octopus that is spreading tentacles throughout the brain tissue." These tentacles spreading make it very hard to treat her brain cancer.

The prognosis for patients with a glioblastoma multiforme is not good but, Linda's family has faith that she will make it through. Charly Rambin said "Her mom went home from the hospital just before thanksgiving. We were so grateful to have her there for the holidays."

Sources
Paintings by Linda Etsy site where Linda's artwork is located
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/lindarambin-Linda Rambin
Help Fight Cancer by Supporting Linda Rambin's Art
Cedars-Sinai - Glioblastoma Multiforme
St. Francis Hospital's acute rehabilitation unit