Pray for Gray, North Dakota’s only 501(c)(3) nonprofit brain tumor organization, was founded by local brain tumor survivor Julie Fletcher in 2007. Since then, the organization has worked to raise awareness of brain tumors themselves, educate local communities, create connections for those battling, and raise funds to help meet the needs of brain tumor patients and their families.
That’s an organization worth some publicity.
We spoke with Candice Ahmann, a member of the Board of Directors who lost her husband to a brain tumor four years ago, to learn more about how Pray for Gray makes an impact.
Q & A
What is Pray for Gray?
Pray for Gray is the only 501(c)(3) in the state of North Dakota that supports individuals with brain tumors. We have a really good executive director now so we’re really trying to grow. We support a tri-state area (North Dakota, South Dakota, and Minnesota). A big part of our fundraising is used to help individuals or families who are going through what they’re going through. We help them financially, but we also become a kind of family that you don’t necessarily want to be a part of, but there are such good people who are a part of it.
We also provide other resources for people as well because when someone gets a brain tumor diagnosis, everything happens super fast. A lot of times, after the diagnosis, people are having brain surgery within a week or two. It’s pretty overwhelming for a lot of patients and their families.
There can be a lot of shock for people when they get a diagnosis. They can feel like their life is flashing before their eyes—especially if they start reading statistics online. There is a lot of fear but there can also be a lot of isolation because there are not as many people who know about these diagnoses. When my husband was diagnosed, he was pretty young to just have cancer in general, but people would come up to him and tell him things like how their grandmother had had breast cancer and was doing just fine. Those statements didn’t help him feel better. He didn’t feel like anyone knew what he was going through.
We also donate money to research and other nonprofits. This past year, we donated money to two different camps. There’s one camp in particular, in the state of Minnesota, that my son went to last year, that is for kids who have had a parent, caregiver, or someone close to them who has had cancer. It’s a place for kids to go to meet other kids who know what they’ve gone through. The other camp is, I believe, through Sanford. One of our board member’s child has gone there. That camp is for kids who do have cancer.
