International Brain Tumour Awareness Week will run from Saturday 29 October 2022 to Saturday 5 November. I want to thank Flora Csizmadia for bringing this to my attention.

Flora is a Glasgow Caledonian University Journalism student. Flora contacted me yesterday, asking for a few comments after reading about my childhood Medulloblastoma diagnosis (which was 34 years ago). As a Glasgow Caledonian University colleague, I helped Flora by providing a few inspirational words of wisdom.

Talking to Flora this morning got me thinking. I concluded in another blog: what makes me the same person I am today, as the four-year-old child I once was, is the long-term side effects caused by the brain tumour.

On reflection, I do not believe that provides the reader with the full picture. In this blog and others between now and 5 November, I will attempt to complete the canvas.

1988, the year I was diagnosed with a brain tumour. I was four. Just a child, without a care in the world, then like a lightning bolt. bang. My world is turned upside down. Hold on, I was four. My world was, whatever, a four-year-old’s world is. The truth is I cannot tell the reader what it is like to grow up with the side effects of a Medulloblastoma diagnosis. I faked it, till I was Thirty-nine. At Thirty-Nine, am now required to reflect on my life and what I do from this point on.

As I told Flora. I cannot really reflect on my life. I don’t remember much of it. That legacy, of childhood Medulloblastoma diagnosis, is one day you are four next you are Thirty-nine. It is not the time loss that is the problem. It is not even knowing that you see the world from different lenses than most people, that is the problem. The problem is society expects, that after trying to exclude you, for most of your childhood. that in adulthood you are expected to say thank you. Comply with social norms, become a mindless group-think zombie, and, say yes sir to neo-liberal free-market capitalism.

Before any reader gets the wrong idea, I am not suggesting childhood Medulloblastoma survivors don’t have to contribute to society. Like most disabled people I want to contribute to society. What I am saying to the reader is, due to the childhood Medulloblastoma diagnosis I am more altruistic than most people.

Am a Frontal lobe entrepreneur. Yes. that is a real thing. This is where I stop, reflect, and, ask why. Why am I a Frontal lobe entrepreneur? Here is my conclusion. I am a Frontal lobe entrepreneur because of the position of the Medulloblastoma brain tumour. The Cerebellum (part of the brain) is damaged beyond repair. Am not a neuro scientist. Am a social scientist. I could be completely wrong as to why I am a Frontal lobe entrepreneur. Perhaps I just am. Anyone that knows me, will know I don’t jump to conclusions without deeply thinking about the premise(s). I have thirty-five years of lived experience with the side effects of a childhood Medulloblastoma diagnosis. I have studied the philosophy of “The Self”. I have also had the opportunity to read the “Synaptic Self” by Joseph LeDoux. I conclude am a Frontal lobe entrepreneur because my Cerebellum is damaged. Any neuroscientist that wishes to provide additional data for or against my conclusion I’II hear you out.

This week

This week is International Brain Tumour Awareness Week, running from 29 October- 5 November. My plan, if I get the time, is to publish a number of blog posts on the subject. This is the first of at least three posts. The one that follows will focus on why setting up a social enterprise is the correct choice for me. that is not to say setting up a social enterprise is correct for every brain tumour survivor.

The Scottish Government take a very interesting view on social enterprise and disability. In the publication A Fairer Scotland For Disabled People. In the 2016 publication, it is said

[The Scottish Government] will publish a 10-year social enterprise strategy…stimulate per-start activity, increasing the number of disabled social entrepreneurs.

A Fairer Scotland For Disabled People

If am correct and I want a career as a social entrepreneur because of injury to my Cerebellum, is there any real evidence to suggest disabled people want to be social entrepreneurs?

Thank you for reading. To find out more about International Brain Tumour Awareness Week click here. Flora Csizmad can be found on Linkedin.

please comment. Are my views correct? Do you have different views?