A woman whose daughter was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 24 is backing a national campaign to raise funds for scientists working to find a cure.

Wendy Lambourne and her colleagues at Folkestone Magistrates Court are joining many others across the country by getting involved in Wear A Hat Day which, this year, takes place on Thursday 29^th March.

When Wendy’s daughter, Melissa Ross, started to experience pain in her legs in late 2013, she put it down to being on her feet all day as she was working as a waitress. However, as the pain became almost unbearable, tests revealed that a brain tumour was the cause. Melissa was unable to have surgery due to the location of her tumour, but has undergone an intensive course of radiotherapy to try to control its growth. Despite not knowing what her future holds, Melissa is determined to enjoy her life with partner Lee and their five-year-old daughter Millie.

Wendy, who is a team leader and has worked at the court for 34 years said: “Melissa’s diagnosis has been a huge shock to the whole family. She is so young and a wonderful mum to our beautiful granddaughter, so seeing her virtually housebound and struggling to look after little Millie while she was undergoing treatment was heart-breaking. The doctors have said we just need to watch and wait as the cancer cells could come back at any time but Melissa is closely monitored with MRI scans every 3 months and thankfully since her original diagnosis to now there has been no change in the tumour.  Melissa is taking each day as it comes and enjoying every precious moment with Lee and Millie.   

“We now know that many thousands of families just like us are affected by brain tumours every year and that very little is known about what causes them. Much more research is needed to address this and to ultimately find a cure for this devastating disease. I’m proud to be joining so many other people all over the country taking part in Wear A Hat Day to raise money for this vital research.”

Wendy and her many colleagues from HM Courts & Tribunal Service in East Kent will be raising funds and awareness on Wear A Hat Day by donning headwear of all shapes and sizes, and a team of magistrates will judge a best hat competition. A bake-off sale, a fun photo booth, a lucky dip, and a raffle, with a star prize of a hat-shaped cake, will also be part of a day of fun and fundraising.

Wear A Hat Day has raised over a million pounds since it was launched by the charity Brain Tumour Research nine years ago and is the culmination of Brain Tumour Awareness Month in March. The big day will see schools, workplaces, families and individuals across the UK fundraising and taking part in fun events to raise awareness of brain tumours and help fund life-saving research.

Brain tumours 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. Funds raised through Wear A Hat Day 2018 will develop the charity’s network of world-class brain tumour research centres in the UK.

Tim Green, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone, at any age. We are extremely grateful to Wendy and her colleagues for getting involved and hope people will support them and be inspired to hold their own events. It’s as easy as wearing a hat and making a donation!”

To get involved, or donate, please visit: www.wearahatday.org or text HAT to 70660 to donate £5*

#HATTASTIC

* Texts cost £5 plus network charge. Brain Tumour Research receives 100% of your donation. Obtain the bill payer’s permission. Call 01908 867200 with any queries.

For further information, please contact:
Susan Castle-Smith at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867206 or 07887 241639 or Susan@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.