Name
David “Glamour Dave” Nienow

Brain Tumor Type
Other, will need to specify.

Date of Diagnosis
1982

Age Group (If you are a caregiver/family member please check Caregiver/Family Member)
Adult: 21 and over

Category
Photography/Digital Art

Artist Statement (include type of art, techniques & materials used, what it means to you)
This submitted image is from my first abstract portrait shoot concept shot in my commercial portrait studio. The shoot was produced to create a portrait for submission to the 1st round of the Portrait Masters photo competition of 2023. The idea was to capture an image of the idea of the Queen of butterflies in a dream like state.

Bio (include your age, tumor type and date of diagnosis)
I am 59 years of age. When I was 18 years old and a senior in high school I was experiencing black outs. One day I had a black out in front of my parents while sitting in the back seat of the family car. My parents asked me where I wanted to go for lunch. I could not respond. I was taken to the nearby hospital. And it was determined that I had a brain tumor. I was soon scheduled for a brain surgery that took place on January 17th of 1982. I wound up having a 2nd surgery on March 4th of 1982. That was done after it appeared after a follow up exam that the tumor that was removed from the first surgery had regrown. After the 2nd surgery it was determined that the medicine used to fill the wound space in my brain after the first surgery had caused a reaction that simulated the appearance of the tumor on following exams. At the time this was all happening President Reagan was getting Congress to restrict requirements for Social Security disability benefits. My father was getting those benefits at the time as a result of an industrial work injury. In order for my father to continue to get his benefits under the new rules I had to be in college by a certain date. Thus I wound up entering college 2 weeks after my 2nd brain surgery. I never had any serious down time to recover from my brain surgeries. When I was preparing to graduate college I applied for a Masters program at University of Oregon for the International Relations program. That would have been another 3 years of college. But the university talked to my international studies professor and wanted me for their Doctorate program. That would have been 6 more years of study. At that point I was so tired after doing college immediately after 2 brain surgeries that I decided to not continue with any more college studies and degree programs. To just take a break. And I continue to take that break from college. But art and photography have been a constant in my life. And photography has been my most successful art medium. It is what I do as my profession of choice. My portrait studio specializes in headshots, fine art contemporary portraits and unique fantasy concept portraits.