Today our thoughts are with the family and friends of Nick Cotton as they mark 10 long years without him.
Nick and Rachael had only been married for six months when he was diagnosed with an aggressive anaplastic oligodendroglioma after experiencing excruciating headaches. He underwent emergency surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but just three months later, whilst still undergoing chemo, Nick’s headaches returned and he had a seizure. An MRI scan showed the tumour had recurred. Nick was put on Avastin which for a while had an amazing effect and a scan showed a considerable reduction in the size of the tumour. He and Rachael managed to go to some friends’ wedding in Malta and also celebrated their 30th birthdays together.
But Nick started deteriorating again and a scan showed new tumour growth. Devastatingly, he had exhausted all treatment options and passed away.
Rachael set up The Nick Cotton Foundation Fundraising Group, which has raised almost £66,700, as a legacy for Nick who, during his illness, really wanted to help others suffering from the same condition.
Rachael said: “Even though 10 years have passed, you never really get over something like this. I still think about Nick every day and often wonder how different our lives would be had there been any life-saving treatments.
“It is just so heartbreaking that, a decade on, loved ones are still being given the same desperately short survival prognoses and still have to endure the same barbaric treatments. With greater funding for research, we can make a difference and bring hope to families in the future who face the news that a loved one has been diagnosed with a brain tumour.”
Make a donation in Nick’s memory, marking your reason The Nick Cotton Foundation.