Name
Angel Gregson

Brain Tumor Type
Craniopharyngioma

Date of Diagnosis
April 2014

Age Group (If you are a caregiver/family member please check Caregiver/Family Member)
Youth: 13 - 20 Years of age

Category
Creative Writing

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
I am from the U.K. and here in the Mother’s Day us celebrated in March. So for Mother’s Day March 2023 I decided to do something more personal for my mum and write her a poem.
My poem for my mum is a personal poem about LIFE with an CRANIOPHARYNGIOMA , own life experiences and how it doesn’t just effect me but also my mum.
The mood of this poem is reflective. The themes include childhood experience and parental influence.
I have wrote this all by myself and there is no plagiarism. I wrote it as if I was saying it and wrote exactly what my thoughts are and how I feel and see things from my point of view.

It effects you too:
It doesn't just affect me, it affects you too
And if I could take that all away I surely would do,
I'd take it right back to how the times used to be
Before we found the tumour inside of me.
The future is not something we can foresee
Never in a million years did you think you'd give up your job to
become a full time carer for me.
You now have the roles and titles of mum, carer and friend.
How you find the time to be all three I cannot comprehend.
Most people only see who I appear to be
But only a few ever see the real me....
Like how I change from being as calm as a daisy
To lashing out and going crazy.
Or when the tears roll down my face and I feel low
And if you were to ask me what is wrong I'd probably reply 'I don't
know.
And even though this is what I put you through
You still smile when you're sad to make me smile too,
You make life so much better in everything that you do.
I know that all the time I haven't stopped giving you pain,
I know you hear me say sorry again and again.
But all I have is words and these are my words to you
So please forgive me when I show I don't care
Because I do and I'll miss you when one of us is no longer there.

Bio (include your age, tumor type and date of diagnosis)
My name is Angel Gregson I am from the U.K. England and I have an inoperable Craniopharyngioma. I was diagnosed in April 2014 and had to travel to the USA where I lived for 10 weeks and had treatment, proton beam therapy, to treat my tumour as there wasn’t anything they could do in the U.K. for the tumour
I am 20 years old