How A Mustache Funded Research for Brain Cancer

“Just providing togetherness and hope and understanding to a family who's going through this at any stage of that continuum, is probably the most powerful thing.” Colin Gerner had no idea what glioblastoma was until he lost his brother to the disease. Now, he’s helping people across the country gain access to resources, information, and support. He is the President and co-founder of StacheStrong, a nonprofit that started as a silly but powerful stand of solidarity with his brother as he went for surgery. Colin is joining Amber Barbach on Glioblastoma aka GBM to talk about his experience as a caregiver, and how he used his grief to push for change and advancement.

Hear us talk about:

• Colin’s first encounter with glioblastoma, and how he founded his nonprofit. He was unfamiliar with the disease until his older brother, who was 28 at the time and seemingly healthy, had a seizure in 2017. After over 10 hours in the hospital, they discovered a mass on his brain larger than a golf ball. Against all hope, it turned out to be cancerous. He shaved down his facial hair to a little mustache going into surgery, and Colin followed suit in solidarity. It became a silent show of support between them, and inspired the creation of StacheStrong.

• StacheStrong’s breweries. One of their biggest campaigns is Brew StacheStrong - where hundreds of participating breweries across the country brew a collaboration beer and donate a dollar per pint. Now, over 300,000 pints are brewed annually, and every dollar goes directly towards research and clinical trials.

• StacheStrong’s impact. Since inception, StacheStrong has funded 17 research grants. Colin hoped that this advancement of research would buy his brother more time. Sadly it did not, but Colin still takes pride in what StacheStrong has been able to accomplish. “Hopefully we’re moving one step closer to ensuring the next set of brothers, the next family that goes through this, has a potential resource and clinical trial and breakthrough that's going to help them.”

• Colin’s outlet for grief. Everyone grieves differently, and Colin considers himself fortunate to have StacheStrong as an outlet to carry on his brother’s memory. “I grieve through driving this forward,” he shares, “... Fighting for change in advancement and research is what we need to hopefully make sure that that loss wasn't happening in vain.”

• Meeting people where they are. Colin has been able to do this through his nonprofit. He has built a community where people can share their struggles, give each other support, and access resources to help them. 

What’s Next?

Colin Gerner is President and co-founder of StacheStrong, a nonprofit devoted to raising funds and awareness for brain cancer research. StacheStrong has raised over $2,000,000 and funded 17 research grants at top institutions since its inception. Their brewery collaboration, Brew StacheStrong, happens in the spring.

As always, the information that is discussed in Glioblastoma AKA GBM is not meant to treat or diagnose any disease. What we and our guests share are personal stories of what has worked for the individuals in question, and should not be taken as medical advice or opinion, and is not a substitute for medical advice. If you have any questions about your own situation, always consult with your medical provider and healthcare team.

HOOKS

• The fight against brain cancer should not be siloed.

• Meeting people where they are is a powerful thing.

• We need to leverage community for change.