Volunteering in the acoustic neuroma and hearing loss community is such a joy. It connects me to wonderful individuals and I have the opportunity to support them on some of their worst days. I have met amazing people from all over the globe because of this diagnosis. People I would have never had an opportunity to cross paths with otherwise.

Volunteering has also made all the research and legwork to learn about this diagnosis more worthwhile, as the information is not just for me but can benefit many. It doesn’t seem a waste to read books and trudge through scholarly journals if that time can help improve the quality of life for folks. While making informed decisions for myself is extremely important, it feels even better to share that hard work with others.

I read a study that said one of the best ways to process trauma is to talk about it repeatedly. By discussing it over and over, it helps make it mundane and helps you process and move past it. I have found this to be really true for me. I am not sure if this would work for everyone, but as an extrovert, I have found that sharing my story can help me let go of some of the burden I carry with each retelling. After telling it enough times, it really doesn’t feel so heavy anymore.

Volunteering also helps give purpose to all of the pain and suffering that was a part of my diagnosis. It helps to feel like I could take those difficult times and make something useful of them. It makes me feel like shouldering through the hard times hasn’t been in vain.

I have also been driven by gaps in resources in my volunteering. Nine times out of ten, I start a new volunteering project because it is a support that I would have loved when I was diagnosed and I can’t find this support elsewhere. So, I make it exist for the next person.

I was fortunate to have my mom’s support for my brain tumor diagnosis. She had been diagnosed with a different benign brain tumor seven years prior. While her journey differed from mine, having someone who got what it was like to live with a brain tumor and undergo brain surgery made a huge difference for me. I wanted to help create that support for others who don’t happen to have an awesome mom in their corner as I did.

I am pretty busy. I work full time, owning and operating a family business. I also have two involved young children. When I told my friends about my volunteering, their response was, “How can you possibly have the time?” My answer, “I kind of don’t have the time, but it’s too important not to make it fit.” I squeeze it in around the edges of my life. The photo below is a picture showing how I write most of these blog posts- while I am waiting for my kids during lessons or extracurriculars I am often writing on my phone. Another common example is if my husband is driving for a car ride, I squeeze in some volunteering. I make it work with little pieces of time that I can fit into my life.

But truly, the reason I volunteer is you. Because you matter, and I want the best possible outcomes for you. Because brain tumors and hearing loss can be extremely isolating, and I don’t want you to feel alone. Because having a tribe by your side on a challenging journey can make all the difference. Because you are here, reading this. Because you mentioned at some point something I had said or created helped, and I want to keep helping. Because I care about you.