“It changed the course of my life”: Virginia Brain Tumor 5K raises money for research, honors those who’ve passed
RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Walkers and runners laced up their shoes in Richmond on Sunday, with every stride getting them one step closer to helping brain tumor research. The Virginia Brain Tumor Walk and Run 5K that took place on Sunday, Nov. 3, was a celebration for survivors, and a day of remembrance for those who have lost their lives. Thirty-five-year-old Victoria Kokal has only known about her brain cancer since July. “It changed the course of my life," Kokal said. Kokal said she learned about the 5K from a woman who lost her husband to brain cancer. She and her family posted that they were fundraising for the event on Facebook, and it exploded. “It went crazy," said Tori's dad Kevin Kokal. "There are people donating that I haven’t seen in years.” She gave this year's survivors' speech, and a group of about 100 people came out in support of her. After going through months of seizures in the middle of the night, she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, or GBM, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. An MRI showed a pea-sized tumor on the frontal lobe of her brain. “I would say that my initial reaction was not sadness or anger," she said. "But I was more numb.” She then went through an aggressive six-week treatment, with radiation five days a week and chemotherapy seven days a week. The treatment was deemed successful, and she started a second round of chemo this past month. “Supporting brain cancer research is going to help make it so that my parents don’t have to bury their daughter," Kokal said on stage during her speech. "That my niece Sloane doesn’t have to lose her aunt, and that my siblings, Garrett and Taylor, don’t have to lose their sister.” Tori’s Army raised the most money of all the teams there -- more than $38,000 -- and her dad Kevin raised the most individually, over $12,000. “I can’t describe it," he said, getting choked up. "I just can’t describe it.” “I’ve been surrounded by the biggest and greatest support system with my friends and family and organizations that I’m part of, and I haven’t had a chance to be sad," she said. More than $140,000 was raised from the event in total on Sunday. Tori’s dad said she has been living with them throughout all of this, but she recently bought a townhouse and will be moving out in a month. He said he can't describe how proud of her he is.
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RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) -- Walkers and runners laced up their shoes in Richmond on Sunday, with every stride getting them one step closer to helping brain tumor research.
The Virginia Brain Tumor Walk and Run 5K that took place on Sunday, Nov. 3, was a celebration for survivors, and a day of remembrance for those who have lost their lives.
Thirty-five-year-old Victoria Kokal has only known about her brain cancer since July.
“It changed the course of my life," Kokal said.
Kokal said she learned about the 5K from a woman who lost her husband to brain cancer. She and her family posted that they were fundraising for the event on Facebook, and it exploded.
“It went crazy," said Tori's dad Kevin Kokal. "There are people donating that I haven’t seen in years.”
She gave this year's survivors' speech, and a group of about 100 people came out in support of her.
After going through months of seizures in the middle of the night, she was diagnosed with glioblastoma, or GBM, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. An MRI showed a pea-sized tumor on the frontal lobe of her brain.
“I would say that my initial reaction was not sadness or anger," she said. "But I was more numb.”
She then went through an aggressive six-week treatment, with radiation five days a week and chemotherapy seven days a week. The treatment was deemed successful, and she started a second round of chemo this past month.
“Supporting brain cancer research is going to help make it so that my parents don’t have to bury their daughter," Kokal said on stage during her speech. "That my niece Sloane doesn’t have to lose her aunt, and that my siblings, Garrett and Taylor, don’t have to lose their sister.”
Tori’s Army raised the most money of all the teams there -- more than $38,000 -- and her dad Kevin raised the most individually, over $12,000.
“I can’t describe it," he said, getting choked up. "I just can’t describe it.”
“I’ve been surrounded by the biggest and greatest support system with my friends and family and organizations that I’m part of, and I haven’t had a chance to be sad," she said.
More than $140,000 was raised from the event in total on Sunday.
Tori’s dad said she has been living with them throughout all of this, but she recently bought a townhouse and will be moving out in a month. He said he can't describe how proud of her he is.
