Mark Agnew

We are setting up this Caring Bridge page because we are so grateful for the incredible support and love our family has received over the last couple of days. It is at times like these that we feel most grateful for the incredible friends and family that are in our lives. Thank you. Mark has always had a flare for the dramatic and has sought out new challenges - and this new hurdle will no doubt become just another ‘Agnew Story” to be told amongst our friends as the years go on. This initial post is to give everyone an update and talk about how we are going to march forward with the news that Mark has a brain tumor.

 

To provide an update: After returning home from a family vacation to Mexico, Mark had a seizure and was taken to Evanston hospital for analysis and observation. It was soon discovered that he has a tumor on the left side of his brain. While there is much to be learned over the coming days about the exact nature of the tumor, the doctors are confident that this is both treatable in the near-term and manageable over the long-term. Mark was transferred to Northwestern Hospital where he is currently planning to base his treatment. Never to miss an opportunity to plug the Malnati’s Brand, he is getting world-class care at the Lou and Jean Malnati Brain Tumor Institute. We are grateful to have such a loving and supportive network who activated immediately to get Mark so expertly looked after.

 

Next Steps: Mark will have a series of tests over the coming days to get a more detailed understanding of the tumor. It is also likely that Mark will have a surgery/biopsy to get the biological material that will be needed to study the tumor. Following the surgery, we will be in a bit of a holding pattern for a couple of weeks, as they will be testing the tumor so that they can determine that best treatment strategy going forward (monitoring, chemo, radiation, etc.). For those in the North Shore community, Mark and Carolyn are being thoughtful about how to bring their children into this journey, so some discretion around the kids (and your kids) would be much appreciated for the time being.

 

We so appreciate the love and support from our amazing community. We feel blessed to have you. For the time being, there is nothing specific “to-do” - but, as we have a better understanding of the next steps, we will be sure to update this page. 




Much Love,

Carolyn Agnew and Kevin Agnew