About Jean

Help a Mom Fight Brain Cancer and Secure Her Son’s Future

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Life Before Diagnosis 

I'm Zoe and Jean is my little sister. Jean Hanson (51) was born in Minneapolis and moved to Marshall, MN with her Dad after her parents divorced. She lived there until 4th grade when she moved to live with her Mom in St. Louis Park, MN. It was there that she started relationships with a group of amazing girls that continue to be good friends even today. After graduating from St. Louis Park High School in 1991, she moved to Modesto, California, where she completed 2 years at Community College. In 1995, she completed her high school teaching degree at the University of MN, Twin Cities campus. 

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With a tumultuous home life, Jean was a troubled teen but turned her life around to become a dedicated high school math teacher. She feels privileged to have taught math to thousands of high school students and has been many a student’s favorite teacher. Jean has always had a heart for struggling students, whether due to learning disabilities, medical diagnoses like depression and ADHD, homelessness, or family-related issues. She started her career in North Minneapolis at Patrick Henry High School and in 2010 began teaching at Coon Rapids High School. She was also active in curriculum development, hoping to help students understand the importance of math in their daily lives. I couldn't be more proud. 

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Jean is a strong woman who loves her son Christian dearly. She has been a single parent and has worked tirelessly to ensure he’s brought up with strong positive values. Her success in raising him is evidenced by regular comments from adults about how mature, respectful, and thoughtful he is. After living for 10 years with her Aunt in Golden Valley, Jean bought a townhome in Moundsview, MN in 2022, near Christian’s high school, Irondale, where it's close enough for him to walk or ride his bike to school every day. Jean formed relationships with her neighbors and really enjoys the community. 

 

Cancer Diagnosis 

Looking back, it’s clear that Jean experienced significant behavior changes and loss of energy at the beginning of the summer of 2024. Eventually, she also had headaches and slower reaction times. Her son Christian noticed she wasn’t quite herself, but being the strong mother she is, she assured him there was nothing wrong. Jean started to not pick up her phone or return calls. On one occasion, I received a text message from her that didn’t make any sense. Right around this time, a friend had scheduled a lunch with Jean. On her way over, Jean responded illogically to a text, and on a phone call, her speech was unintelligible. As soon as her friend saw Jean, she knew something was very wrong and rushed her to Mercy Hospital. 

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At Mercy Hospital, they gave her an MRI and immediately saw she had a brain bleed caused by swelling and a significant mass in her brain. The mass had actually shifted her brain. She was rushed to Abbott Hospital for more tests and treatment. The first step was to stop the brain bleed then they could deal with the mass. After 5 days in the hospital, a craniotomy was planned to remove the mass which was followed by testing to determine the pathology. 

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On August 31st, came the devastating diagnosis of brain cancer. And on September 23rd, the final pathology: Glioblastoma, stage 4 with MGMT promoter (genotype). Only about 5-10% of people with Glioblastoma have this genotype, which, thankfully, is very responsive to chemo and radiation. Not good news, but not the worst possible either. There is hope. 

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We were told that the average life expectancy with this diagnosis is 31.6 months. However, Jean’s doctor has patients that have lived with this for 5-10 years. In addition to the MGMT cancer genotype, Jean's age and general health are in her favor. It was clear Jean couldn't be alone so she and Christian moved in with our family so we could care for her. 

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Daily radiation started on October 14th and went for 6 weeks. TMZ Chemo (Temozolomide), the first of two chemotherapy options, also started at this time to last 12 months. Thankfully, fatigue was the worst side effect and that peaked in November 2024. After the 6 weeks of radiation, Jean’s doctor recommended Optune, a treatment with electromagnetic waves. With care and support from her hairdresser, Jean shaved her head to be able to do this treatment. Ongoing MRI scans were needed every 2 months and weekly blood tests to monitor her health. 

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Unfortunately, in February 2025, the MRI scan showed additional cancer and radiation necrosis in the area of the original resection. With TMZ chemotherapy proving ineffective, it was discontinued, and another craniotomy was scheduled for February 21st. MRI in March showed another tumor in the center of Jean’s brain. We were all devastated by this news. This, along with new pathology (CDKN2A loss), showed the aggressive nature of the cancer and is, unfortunately, now inoperable.  

 

Jean started a new chemo drug, CCNU (Lomustine). This is the second of two standard chemotherapy options. If this doesn’t work, there are experimental chemotherapies she may decide to try. Additional surgery and radiation are not recommended. But Jean presses forward the strong woman she is. 

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Two weeks after surgery, a fluid bubble (seroma) appeared on the outside of Jean’s head near the surgical site. Doctors have been monitoring this for infection or worsening symptoms. The hope is this fluid is reabsorbed by the body within 6 months and if not, surgery to implant a shunt may be required. 

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Perhaps the biggest ongoing issues Jean is experiencing are related to communication. Jean was diagnosed with speech aphasia after the first surgery. This worsened after the second surgery. We are thankful to the Courage Kenny team of speech therapists for tools to ease communicating with Jean. Additionally, we are thankful that her mobility has been preserved. Jean requires a wheelchair for longer outings but is able to walk and manage the stairs in our house so we can continue to care for her at our home and she can spend her remaining time with her son Christian. 

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The Harsh Reality of Glioblastoma 

Only 5% of patients with Glioblastoma live for 5 years. Most brain cancer research has concentrated on brain cancers for childhood cancer. For adults, we were surprised to learn that the same standard of care for brain cancer has been used for decades. Surgical resection yields the best results followed by Radiation, then Chemotherapy. Chemotherapy options are few and mostly not effective against Glioblastoma. Unfortunately, with Jean’s cancer type, immunotherapy is not effective. 

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Help a Mom Fight Brain Cancer and Secure Her Son’s Future 

Life has really thrown my younger sister and her 15-year-old son into a serious challenge they can’t face alone. In August 2024, Jean was enjoying summer with her son, Christian and the next moment she is fighting for her life. Our goal is for Jean to access lifesaving treatment so she can spend more time with her son. We need your support for medical and living expenses to give Christian stability. 

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Why We Need Your Help 

Please help us help Jean cover the mounting expenses for therapy, medications, loss of work, housing, and living expenses to raise her 15 year old son. She cannot do this alone. This is a time-sensitive opportunity, and Jean needs your help to raise $100,000 ASAP. 

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How YOU Can Help 

Jean never imagined needing to ask for help in this way. Jean can’t imagine not being there to watch her child learn to drive, cheer him on at sports events, or support him through relationships to marriage. If you can donate, no matter how small, it will go directly towards Jean’s treatment and give her the chance to keep living as long as possible for her son. 

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If you can’t donate right now, please share Jean’s story with as many people as possible. Your support means everything. This is truly a race against time. Every single donation received helps Jean to maintain a semblance of normalcy for Christian and brings Jean the relief that her son will be cared for after she’s gone. 

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From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your kindness, generosity, and support.