We celebrate Wear A Hat Day on March 26 as a fun and fabulous way to raise awareness for brain-tumor research, and raise funds while we’re at it! The holiday was created as a way to get our heads (and hats) together to advance research in finding a cure for brain tumors. You don’t need to have been affected to make a difference, so we’ve got some ideas to get you a-head this Wear A Hat Day!
Occurring in around 250,000 people globally each year, we still have a long way to go in the study of brain tumors. But, thankfully, due to scientific advances in the fields of chemotherapy and radiation, the survival rate is higher than ever before.
Once, brain tumors meant the end for the unfortunate individuals who developed them. It wasn’t until 1879 when Scottish surgeon William Macewen became the first person to successfully remove a brain tumor. His patient, a young woman, recovered fully, and the tide was turned in the fight against the illness.
The scientific process that was developed over the following few years meant a speedy advancement in our understanding and treatment of the condition. The discovery of X-rays meant that it became possible to locate tumors of the brain accurately through scanning. This has continued to be the best way to identify brain tumors ever since and, in the 1970s, the development of computed tomography (CT) scanning allowed physicians to see a clear image of the brain for the first time.
Despite these significant advances in the last 150 years, there is still no fail-safe cure for brain tumors. As a result, we get together on Wear A Hat Day to raise money and awareness for brain tumor research. Typically used as a form of protection from external elements, hats are worn as a symbol of internal protection on this day, too. By talking more about the condition, we help each other to spot symptoms early on and by raising funds we provide support for the amazing scientists working on a cure.
