Glen Schallman hopes to inspire people with his courageous battle against a brain tumor he’s been living with for about a decade.
The 53-year-old Kent resident joins the Seattle Brain Cancer Walk on Saturday, one of the many benefit walks the dedicated “cancer walker” participates in throughout the country. He has been walking for the cause since 2003.
“It means the world to me,” Schallman said in a recent interview. “The funds are coming in to all the walks that I’m doing. All this is going to brain tumor research.”
Schallman has walked for brain cancer fundraisers in Chicago, Washington D.C., Phoenix, San Diego, Portland, Dallas and New York, to name a few.
He has done so many walks he can’t keep track of how often he’s participated in each event.
He doesn’t know how much he’s raised for the effort, but says he wishes it were more.
“I wish there was more funds to this because they need to find a cure for this,” Schallman said.
He suffers from a rare form of brain tumor called hypothalamic hamartoma, which is a benign brain tumor or lesion of the hypothalamus. Schallman also has polymicrogyria, which is an abnormal development of the brain before birth.
Schallman experienced unusual health conditions since birth, such as seizures, laughing attacks, temper tantrums and digestive problems. But no one was able to correctly diagnosis his brain tumor condition until 2002.
His tumor is 2.5 centimeters and has been deemed inoperable because of the risk. Although it is benign, it causes him constant problems, such as headaches and nausea.
Turning a dire situation into something positive, Schallman has dedicated his time to brain cancer walks to promote hope. Along the way, he’s met some celebrities who’ve also been touched by the condition.
Schallman has walked with American Idol winner, David Cook, who lost his brother Adam to a brain tumor in 2009. Schallman also became an acquaintance of KOMO 4’s Kathi Goertzen, who lost her battle with brain tumors in August.
Schallman, who works at the Build-A-Bear Workshop in Tacoma, gave Goertzen a bear before she died and now dedicates the walks he does to her.
“Pain or no pain, no matter how weak I am, I’m going to do them all,” he said about upcoming brain cancer walks for the year.
Today Schallman suffers from frequent seizures, small strokes, constant nausea and weak muscles and bones, he said.
“Medically my whole body is going haywire,” he said. “I’m just going to go out there and continue to inspire people.”
He calls his walk team of about eight people “Rockin’ Turtle Brain.”
The Hard Rock Café and Walgreens are sponsors. Schallman will be joined by his son, Shawn, 24, of Reno, Nev., on Saturday, among other supporters.
The fifth annual Seattle Brain Cancer Walk begins with registration at 7:30 a.m. at Seattle Center Founders Court, 305 Harrison St., Seattle. The walk starts at 9 a.m. and costs $35 per person on the day of the event.
For more information visit www.braincancerwalk.org.
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