INDIANAPOLIS — Birthdays are often best celebrated in good company.
"Oh, you guys, thank you," shouted Jane Schneider of Spencer, Indiana.
Schneider celebrated her 59th birthday on the fifth floor of the Indiana University Health Neuroscience Center.
That's where she received treatment Wednesday for her glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer she has battled since 2023.
"There are ups and downs days," Schneider said. "I won't kid you."
So far, her cancer journey has led her through two brain surgeries. Now, however, Schneider receives targeted therapy from the team at IU Health.
"To make sure she has the best quality of life," IU Health Neurooncologist Dr. Na Tosha Gatson said. "Treatment should not be worse than the disease, and in her case, we've been able to make decisions as a team to minimize the side effects of therapy."
"These targeted therapies have allowed her to continue living and traveling," Dr. Angela Richardson, who performed Schneider's two brain surgeries, said.
Through the therapy, Schneider said she chooses to live, rather than prioritize the disease.
In May, Schneider and her sister, Julie, traveled to Lourdes, France to visit The Grotto. It's a religious sanctuary known for its healing water.
"I was bound and determined to go over there get that water and heal," Schneider said.
Remarkably, Jane's doctors say there was no progression of her tumor during her time abroad.
"Because when we were over there," Schneider said, "I was constantly putting that water on my head!"
On Wednesday, Schneider turned 59 years old. The staff at IU decorated with French streamers and macarons. Schneider wore her authentic French beret.
"I feel great," Schneider said.
When asked what keeps her motivated, her answer was simple.
"Our good Lord," Schneider said. "Our Father in Heaven. He is who keeps me going. He is going to keep me going for awhile yet, because I've got eight grandbabies that need their grandma."
"Life is not short," Gatson said. "Life, indeed, is long. It's the longest thing we're ever going to do."
