After being diagnosed with a rare type of brain tumour when she was just 13 years old, one Sheffield women is taking on this year’s London Marathon to raise funds for research into the disease that claimed her teenage years.

Amy Drummond, 30, from Sheffield was inspired to take part in the event after she was diagnosed with grade one dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial (DNET) brain tumour when she was just a teenager. Amy is determined to not let the disease that robbed her of her teenage years stop her from enjoying life.

On Sunday 22^nd April 2018, Amy will be pounding the streets of the capital to raise money for the pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research, which is funding world-leading research to find a cure for the disease. She is already half way towards her £3,000 fundraising target.

For months Amy suffered from seizures and issues with her memory, but doctors brushed off her symptoms as attention-seeking. However further tests and scans revealed a tumour the size of a 50 pence piece and she underwent emergency surgery to remove it. 

Amy, who is currently studying for a masters in Business Administration (MBA) at the University of Sheffield, said: “I’m really looking forward to taking part in the London Marathon as it was one of the things I wanted to achieve.

“I lost so much of my teenage years to feeling unwell and going to the doctors. My sister was only a baby at the time the seizures started and the doctors thought these may have been brought on by me acting out, which infuriated my family as they

knew something wasn’t right with me. Over 16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour, some like mine can be removed and we can go on to live our lives but many are not as fortunate.”

Carol Robertson, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer, which is why research into the disease is so important. Many people are unaware that brain tumours kill more women under 35 than breast cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

“We are extremely grateful for Amy’s support and are appealing for runners who have a ballot place for the marathon to join her on Team Brain Tumour Research by nominating us as their chosen charity for 2018. Together we will find a cure.”

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Amy’s JustGiving page go to  https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/amy-drummond  and for more information on applying for one of Brain Tumour Research’s remaining London Marathon places go to www.braintumourresearch.org

For further information, please contact:
Lexie Jenkins at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867222 or 07591 206545 or Lexie.Jenkins@braintumourresearch.org

Notes to Editors

Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK focused on funding sustainable research to find a cure for brain tumours. We are building a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, £5.5 million was raised towards research and support during 2016.

We are campaigning to see the national spend on research into brain tumours increased to £30 - £35 million a year, in line with breast cancer and leukaemia. The charity is celebrating a year of high-profile campaigning on this issue following the unprecedented success of its petition in 2016. Following that, Brain Tumour Research is now taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research.

Key statistics on brain tumours:

• Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer
• They kill more children than leukaemia
• They kill more men under 45 than prostate cancer
• They kill more women under 35 than breast cancer
• Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease
• In the UK 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour
• Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers
• Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone, at any age
• Incidences of, and deaths from, brain tumours are increasing.

Please quote Brain Tumour Research as the source when using this information. Additional facts and statistics are available from our website including our latest Report on National Research Funding. We can also provide case-studies and research expertise for media.