Dade City man battling aggressive brain tumor turns to humor to get through tough days

DADE CITY, Fla. - In 2015, a Dade City man got a life-changing diagnosis. He had an aggressive form of brain cancer with an average life expectancy of less than two years. Seven years later, he's using his diagnosis to educate, encourage, and even help people laugh through their toughest battles. 

The first thing you may notice about J.B. Bird is his bright green Baby Yoda hat. He has grown quite a hat collection. Some are Star Wars-themed, there's a turtle, a squid, and a knight, to name a few.

But it's what's underneath those hats that leads to a more serious topic. "I think it's a great conversation starter and I'm happy to talk about it," Bird said.

Seven years ago, Bird was diagnosed with Glioblastoma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer. There's no known cure, just treatments. That same cancer claimed the lives of Senators John McCain and Ted Kennedy.

Surgery removed about 40% of Bird's tumor. Then came radiation and chemo. 

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"I lost my ability to walk. I had to relearn how to feed myself. It was everything from the ground up as far as recovery from that," Bird commented.

Now, he wears an FDA-approved Optune cap nearly all day. 

"It's like an electric field that attacks the growth of the brain tumor, so as long as I'm wearing it, the treatment is working," Bird said. "When the cancer cells are trying to split apart during mitosis, they are interrupted by the electric field, and they essentially die."

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Dr. Michael Vogelbaum, chief of neurosurgery and program leader of the Department of Neuro-Oncology at Moffitt Cancer Center, has dedicated his career to figuring out what drives these brain tumors and makes them so resistant.  

"For brain tumors, especially the most malignant brain tumors, Glioblastoma, there's sadly been very little progress over the past few decades," Vogelbaum said. "We have made some advances. Patients are living longer than they did but, it's still not more than half of them living more than two years."

There's been progress in identifying new markers, or changes in tumors, which better predict life expectancy and how the tumors respond to certain therapies. But grants and funding are needed to bring more ideas to clinical trials.

"The treatment of brain tumors is somewhat uniquely multidisciplinary," Vogelbaum said. "It involves a lot of different specialists, almost at the same time, and at different stages of the disease. That's one of the things we've learned over the past two decades, the centers that can coordinate that care most effectively are going to have the best outcomes."

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For Bird, humor helps the amateur comic through tough days. 

"I make a bunch of silly jokes just to make fun of the brain cancer itself," he quipped.

He also gives back, speaking at schools and conferences. March 19, he'll share his story at the American Brain Tumor Association's Breakthrough for Brain Tumors 5K in Tampa. His team's name is the "Tumor-nators."

"There was really a long struggle at first, but I am very fortunate to say I got the care that I did and I'm in a great place now," Bird said. "I think doing what you enjoy basically is a good way to get you through this."

The BT5K is Saturday, March 19th at 8:00 a.m. at Tampa's Al Lopez Park. Money raised will help provide critical funding for brain tumor research and patient support services. 

LINK: To sign up or get involved, visit https://give.abta.org/event/2022-bt5k-tampa/e373661.