A brain tumour survivor from Derby, who has raised thousands for research into the disease, has visited the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University London and honoured all those affected by the disease.

Naomi Hope, aged 35, initially chose to fundraise for the pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research after her friend’s husband Paul Halfpenny, from Glossop, died from a brain tumour in 2014. Naomi was then diagnosed herself with a benign acoustic neuroma in April 2016 after she began losing her hearing and balance and experiencing numbness on one side of her face.

The majority of Naomi’s tumour was successfully removed in September 2016 and she has recently been fitted with a bone-anchored hearing aid which will improve her hearing but not reverse the damage caused by the tumour.

Over the years, Naomi has fundraised for research into brain tumours in a variety of ways, including taking part in the On Yer Bike spinathon, completing an inflatable 5k obstacle run, and more recently the Derby 10k.

On Wednesday 11^th April, Naomi was invited by the charity to visit the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University London to see how all money raised contributes towards research. She also had the opportunity to place a tile on the Wall of Hope at the research centre.

The centre, one of four receiving funding from the charity, is focused on research to improve treatments for patients with brain tumours and, ultimately, finding a cure. Each tile laid on the wall represents the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research.

Led by Professor Silvia Marino, in collaboration with University College London, the team at the centre are studying glioblastoma tumours – one of the most aggressive and deadly types of brain cancer.

Naomi, Business and Development Manager at Transition 2, a college for disabled young people, said: “Touring the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence was such an honour. The research that takes place here wouldn’t be possible without fundraisers and donations. Placing my tile on the Wall of Hope has really moved me and inspired me to keep on doing what I can for the cause.

“My symptoms persisted for a few years before my diagnosis. Initially I was prescribed sleeping tablets for stress but it wasn’t until I told the dentist that I was experiencing numbness in my face, along with the loss of balance and regular falls, that alarm bells were raised. Despite it all, I was lucky enough to have my tumour removed but for many people diagnosed, this isn’t even an option.”

Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

Janice Wright, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Naomi has raised an incredible amount for Brain Tumour Research and we’re really pleased she has been to see the research taking place at the Queen Mary University London, and also place a tile on the Wall of Hope. Stories like Naomi’s remind us all that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.”

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Naomi’s JustGiving page

For further information, please contact:
Farel Williams at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867239 or 07592 867239 or Farel.Williams@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 have established a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, over £6 million was raised towards research and support during 2017.

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 unprecedented success of our 2015 petition led to the 2016 Westminster Hall debate and Brain Tumour Research taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research with the report being published in 2018.

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.