Heroes Follow-Up: Rob Mullin

President Bush Presents Survivor with Special Service Award

This past March 20th, brain tumor survivor Rob Mullin of Kansas City had the opportunity of a lifetime – a personal meeting with the president of the United States, President George W. Bush. 

Mullin had been selected to receive the President’s Service Award from the USA Freedom Corps, a program created by President Bush to promote and encourage volunteers who work to better their community.  "When the phone rang, and the lady on the other end said that they wanted to give me this award, I thought it was a joke,” said Mullin.

Well, it wasn’t.  When the President of the United States walked down the steps after landing on the runway in Kansas City, Mullin was there to greet him.  “I was very impressed with him,” he said of the president.  “He knew a great deal about brain cancer and [my family’s] personal story.  He asked questions about beHeadStrong and our connection with The Tug McGraw Foundation.”

The President’s Service Award was established following 9/11 by the president, who wanted to honor individuals who go “above and beyond” to better their community.  Mullin – a brain tumor survivor of four years and five months as of June 1, 2007 – was selected to receive the award in recognition of his untiring work in the fight against brain tumors.  Both he and his immediate family have spent the last four years devoting their time and energy to beHeadStrong, a nonprofit organization established to patients and their families after the diagnosis of a brain tumor.

Mullin was especially struck by the personal nature of the president’s interest.  “We talked for quite a bit,” he said. “I liked the fact that he shared his own story about his brother fighting Crohn's disease.  It showed to me that he is authentically eager to help other people…on all levels.”

During an interview with Fox 4 in Kansas City, Mullin stated: "Brain cancer wasn't something I'd really given much thought to until I was diagnosed with the disease, myself.  I was only thirty-two years old at the time, and our young family had no idea where to turn."

Shortly after his diagnosis in 2003, Rob and his wife, Gail, called Mark Newsome, the founder of beHeadStrong.  "We heard that Mark had started an organization after his own diagnosis of a brain tumor,” said Mullin.  “Since that time, we have become consistent partners with The Tug McGraw Foundation, and, together with beHeadstrong, we’ve been fighting to raise money and awareness to battle this disease ever since."

To date, the Mullin family has helped raise over $200,000 to establish a hotline in the Kansas City area, as well as to provide much needed services to brain tumor patients and their families.  They have further funded research projects through The Robert Preston Tisch Brain Tumor Center at Duke University under the leadership of Ms. Jennifer Brusstar, president of the Tug McGraw Foundation.

Mullin further went on to state that, "Jennifer has given brain tumor patients a voice; she understands this disease, as she was a caregiver for Tug McGraw.  She has never forgotten about the people behind the disease.  That's what finding the cure is all about - awareness, funding and research."

Rob hopes that the President's visit will allow beHeadStrong and the Tug McGraw Foundation more leverage and awareness to battle this deadly disease.  "With each day,” he notes, “we are one step closer to finding a cure.  That is the ultimate goal and what will make all of the hard work worth while."