Julia’s Path to CTR’s Advisory Team

Launching Brain Tumor Awareness Month at Cancer Teamwork Response

In 2018, I was living my best life—traveling the world, designing my jewelry line, and spending time with family and friends.

Then, in a single moment, everything changed.
I developed severe symptoms that led me to the emergency room, where I was told I had a brain tumor. They believed it was cancerous. They said I needed immediate brain surgery.

It’s impossible to describe the fear that floods your body when you hear, “You have cancer. It’s in your brain. Surgery is urgent.” I couldn’t process it, let alone decide what to do, where to go, or who to trust. I was lost—and so was my family.

And then—more confusion. Just three hours later, the ER team returned with new information. “It is indeed a brain tumor,” they said, “but we no longer believe it’s cancer.” The anxiety and uncertainty only deepened. I didn’t know where to turn.

That’s when a friend introduced me to Candy Hammeras—a trusted patient advocate who steps in during moments like these. Candy connected me, within days, to Dr. Linda Liau, one of the most respected neurosurgeons in the world. Together, we confirmed the diagnosis, developed a plan, and scheduled my surgery at UCLA, one of the country’s top academic medical centers.

My anxiety didn’t disappear, but for the first time, I had clarity, confidence, and care I could trust.

Surgery and recovery weren’t easy. But six years later, I’m healthy—and once again living a life I love.

Still, something stayed with me. A quiet question I couldn’t shake:
What happens to the people who don’t have someone like Candy?
The ones who live in rural areas or lack insurance… who don’t have a network of resources at their fingertips?

That question led me to a new purpose.

Earlier this year, I attended CTR’s Gratitude in Action community event—a night that celebrated the impact CTR has made on patients and families across the country. Hearing stories like Lili’s and Jesse’s, seeing families come together, and watching Candy connect so naturally with patients and surgeons alike, I realized just how much CTR had grown—and how many people it had helped.

I knew it was time to give back.

Today, I’m honored to serve as the founding member of the Cancer Teamwork Response Advisory Team. CTR is a community-driven nonprofit with national reach that helps patients like me navigate urgent healthcare challenges—free of charge. I’ve referred many friends to CTR over the years, and I’ve seen firsthand the difference they make.

Now, I’m proud to be a part of it.

This May, as we launch Brain Tumor Awareness Month, I hope my story reminds others that the right guidance, at the right moment, can change everything.

Because sometimes, the most important moment is the one where someone says: “I’m here to help.”