A man whose wife is living with a rare type of brain tumour has completed the London Marathon to raise funds for research into the disease.

Joining tens of thousands of runners on Sunday 22^nd April, Wayne Goodge, who lives and works in Grantham, was inspired to take part in the world’s biggest running event for the charity Brain Tumour Research after his wife, Clare, 48, was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma brain tumour in September 2015.

After experiencing some balance problems and feeling generally unwell, Clare was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma; a benign tumour which occurs in a tiny canal connecting the inner ear to the brain. As the tumour grows, pressure is put on the surrounding nerves and on the brain.

In January 2016, Clare underwent a 14-hour operation at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital to reduce the size of her tumour and has since received radiotherapy treatment. Although her tumour is much reduced in size and will be monitored at regular MRI scans, Clare is now completely deaf in her left ear and has some mobility problems on the left side of her body. Wayne and Clare have two children, Jennifer, 19 and Brady, nine, and they’ve supported their mum throughout her illness and treatment. 

Wayne, 36, who enjoys running and has previously taken part in a number of half marathons said: “It was a tough race, but I’m so pleased that I was able to complete it. Having a brain tumour has changed Clare's life and I’ve seen first-hand the effects this has had on her. I just kept thinking of her and all the thousands of other people that are diagnosed though little is still known about the disease. Just knowing I’ve raised over £3,000 so far for Brain Tumour Research is such a great feeling.”

Wayne was one of 40,000 runners taking part in the event which was started by The Queen from the grounds of Windsor Castle. It was the 38^th London Marathon to take place since the first on 29^th March 1981.

The money Wayne has raised will go towards the pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research which funds a network of dedicated Centres of Excellence where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients and, ultimately, finding a cure.

Carol Robertson, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer -  and more women under 35 than breast cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

“For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer. Stories like Clare’s remind us all that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue. We are extremely grateful for Wayne’s support and offer our congratulations to everyone who took part in this year’s event to raise money for charity.”

Make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Wayne’s JustGiving page.

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 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 in the UK 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.