In 1998 our world was turned upside down when, aged just 56, my dad was diagnosed with a High Grade 4 Gliobastoma. Despite undergoing horrific brain surgery he died just 2 months after diagnosis.

Unbelievably in September 2013 the unthinkable happened when my mum, after collapsing a couple of months earlier, was also diagnosed with the same aggressive tumour. She was just 67.

Having seen the surgery my dad went through she bravely refused any invasive treatment, knowing there was no cure, to make the most of her time left with her family and friends. Her prognosis was just  2-3 months, during this time she received palliative care.

Her aim was to get to my 40th birthday in November, then Christmas and my sisters birthday in January. She did all those things her way with a glass of wine in her hand and passed away in February 2014.

Having seen both parents die of the same disease, 16 years apart, with no advance in diagnosis, treatment or survival rate during that time is why I want to raise much needed funds for Brain Tumour Research.

Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research is allocated to this devastating disease. Yet brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer and 20% of all cancers spread to the brain.

Thank you for reading my story, and visiting my JustGiving page. Please support me to improve the outcome for brain tumour patients now and in the future. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting costs for the charity.