The family and friends of a Sidcup brain tumour patient are joining forces to raise thousands towards a cure for the disease.

A year on from Carol Hayes’ diagnosis, 50 guests were at her home in Sidcup to help the Hayes family to raise vital funds for research into brain tumours. The ‘Tipsy Tea’ event marked the launch of ‘Carol’s Fund’, a Fundraising Group under the umbrella of the Brain Tumour Research charity, which will raise awareness and funds for research into the disease. Together with her husband Gary and children Gemma and James, Carol wants the group to bring hope to patients and families who are facing the devastating disease.

Gemma, who works as a doctor at London Bridge Hospital, said: “The launch event was fantastic and we’re pleased to have raised more than £900 on the day. We are overwhelmed by everyone’s generosity and really grateful to everyone who came out to support Carol’s Fund. It’s means a great deal to our mum who has been through so much. We’re feeling optimistic about how much more we can raise over the coming months. Every pound we raise brings us one step closer to a cure so please support us if you can.”

Previously fit and healthy, Carol was walking to her job as a court clerk at the Old Bailey when she lost peripheral vision on one side. Aged 56 at the time, she went immediately to the opticians and was subsequently sent to A&E where she was found to have a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumour. Since then, the mum-of-two has undergone two operations, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Gemma and James will also run the London Marathon on Sunday 28 April for Brain Tumour Research. They will join tens of thousands of runners at the iconic event on a 26.2-mile course which will take them through the heart of London, starting at Blackheath and finishing at The Mall. Together they hope to raise £10,000

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated Centres of Excellence in the UK; it also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is calling for an annual spend of £35m in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

Janice Wright, community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research in London, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Carol’s Fund as a Fundraising Group and we wish them every success as they aim to raise awareness and much needed funds. As Gemma explained, every bit of help and support we can get will bring us closer to a cure for brain tumours.

“Carol’s story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease, and we’re proud to be changing this.”

To support Gemma, James and Carol’s Fund, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/carolhayesfund

For further information, please contact:

Farel James at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867221 or 07592 502708 or Farel.James@braintumourresearch.org

Brain Tumour Research Press Releases – Notes to Editors

Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK dedicated to raising funds for continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours, and we are a leading voice calling for greater support and action for research into what scientists are calling the last battleground against cancer.

We are building a network of experts in sustainable research at dedicated Centres of Excellence whilst influencing the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more nationally.

We welcome recent funding announcements for research into brain tumours from the UK Government and Cancer Research UK – £65 million pledged over the next five years. However, this potential funding of £13 million a year comes with a catch – money will only be granted to quality research proposals and, due to the historic lack of investment, there may not be enough of these applications that qualify for grants from this pot.

We want research funding parity with breast cancer and leukaemia. We are calling for a £30-35 million investment every year for research into brain tumours in order to fund the ground-breaking research needed to accelerate the translation from laboratory discoveries into clinical trials and fast-track new therapies for this devastating disease.

The Brain Tumour Research charity is a powerful campaigning organisation and represents the voice of the brain tumour community across the UK. We helped establish and provide the ongoing Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Brain Tumours (APPGBT) which published its report Brain Tumours A cost too much to bear? in 2018. Led by the charity, the report examines the economic and social impacts of a brain tumour diagnosis. We are also represented on the Steering Group for the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission. 

Key statistics on brain tumours:

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

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