An inspirational Plymouth grandmother who survived a brain tumour is now launching her own hypnosis and meditation business.

Less than two years after her diagnosis, Victoria Bradley, 48, is promoting her new online company Naturally Calm Therapy within the local community. Victoria, a qualified hypnotherapist and meditation instructor who lives in Plymouth Barbican, has created several hypnosis recordings and guided meditations to help clients learn to relax. The 30-minute podcasts, available to purchase through her website, cover topics such as addiction, grief, weight-loss and exam stress.

The inspiration behind Victoria’s venture came after she went through the dark days of being diagnosed with a meningioma, a low-grade type of tumour. After enduring a 10-hour operation in July 2017, Victoria still suffers from frequent seizures and her symptoms meant she had to give up her job in the travel industry.

Despite the difficult year, Victoria, mum of two daughters, 28 and 30, and grandmother of two, studied online courses in meditation and mindfulness, naturopathy and hypnotherapy, and passed with flying colours. Now she is determined to help others who may be struggling with their own anxieties and has been busy handing out flyers in local hair, nail and beauty salons, health food shops and chemists.

Victoria, originally from Swansea, said: “My diagnosis came completely out of the blue and it was terrifying to be told that my tumour had been growing to the size of a small orange over the past 15 years. I remember crying during the MRI scan, as I reminisced about all the amazing jobs I’ve had, beautiful places I’d travelled to and my wonderful friends.

“Life since my surgery has been at times amazing and at times terrifying. I suffer from seizures and never know when they will happen.

“I’m not the type of person to sit round and do nothing, and I found studying was a welcome distraction from my symptoms. Setting up my own business gave me something to focus on and allowed me to develop my interests in natural healing and health. I’m passionate about helping others who may be going through a tough time or want to learn how to relax and feel free from the stresses and strains of daily life. I was grateful for this sense of purpose and also for my amazing group of friends. They lift me up when I need it, bring me back down to Earth and are always there when I need them.”

Adding to her accomplishments, Victoria also raised £700 for the Brain Tumour Research charity by completing a 150-mile walk throughout June 2018.

Victoria added: “Before my diagnosis I was unaware of just how many people are affected by brain tumours. I couldn’t believe that the disease kills more children and adults under the age of 40, yet has historically received just 1% of the national spend on cancer. Having heard about Brain Tumour Research through a support group at Derriford Hospital, I decided to take on a fundraising walk over a month. I’m keen to do more for this vital cause and I hope that by sharing my story I can inspire other patients who may be struggling to come to terms with their diagnosis.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated Research Centres of Excellence in the UK, including one at the University of Plymouth. 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.

Amy White, community fundraising manager in the South West, said: “Victoria has achieved so much in the months after her diagnosis and we would like to wish her the very best of luck with her business. Victoria’s story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age, and we encourage anyone who has been touched by her story to donate to Brain Tumour Research.”

To find out more about Naturally Calm Therapy go to https://naturallycalmtherapy.co.uk/

For further information, please contact:

Annie Slinn at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867221 or 07592 502708 or annie.slinn@braintumourresearch.org.

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.