The family of a Wakefield brain tumour patient living in Texas are organising a fundraising ball to celebrate her birthday and show their support from across the pond.

Lydia Carfrae is currently undergoing treatment in Houston, Texas, for a highly aggressive brain tumour; meanwhile, her family and friends in Wakefield are busy raising funds to improve outcomes for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.

On Saturday 23 February, Lydia’s supporters will come together to mark her 35^th birthday and raise vital funds for the Brain Tumour Research charity. Taking place at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School (QEGS), the theme of the ball is ‘Lydia’s Wish’.

The birthday bash comes following Lydia’s diagnosis in summer 2018. Whilst living in Texas with her husband Stuart, the 34-year-old began experiencing numbness in the fingers of her left hand. Doctors initially suspected multiple sclerosis to be the cause but Lydia was soon found to have a brain tumour known as a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). More than 4,700 miles separate Lydia from her family but they are determined to go the distance and support her.

Her cousin Rosie Crawford said: “Lydia has an incredible network in Texas but those of us who can’t be with her in person are determined to support her however we can. In Wakefield we have raised more than £2,800 so far, and her friends around the world have raised a phenomenal $13,917 (£10,998). We want to add to this #TeamLyd total at the ball and help give hope to Lydia and the thousands of other patients diagnosed with this awful disease.”

Tickets are £45 each and will include a three-course dinner courtesy of Rockpool Tour Catering, entertainment, a raffle and an auction. QEGS, where Lydia’s grandfather was a pupil, is expected to glow on the night as guests arrive in an orange and silver dress code.

Rosie, who lives in Walton with her husband and three children, added: “It’s going to be a brilliant night, raising awareness and funds for the charity and also celebrating Lydia’s birthday. It’s been a real family effort: Lydia’s brother-in-law is deputy head at the QEGS junior school and secured the venue for us free of charge; two family members will be comperes for the night; Lydia’s aunty is decorating; and there’ll be amazing live entertainment from her sister’s band ‘The Dansettes’. Please come along and support us if you can.”

Matthew Price, community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research in the North East, said: “It’s incredible how supportive Lydia’s friends and family have been since her diagnosis, not only to her but to the charity. Despite their devastation, Lydia’s friends and family around the world have raised thousands to help fund the fight against the disease and we are extremely grateful. Please support them if you can, purchase a ticket, and help make Lydia’s Wish come true.

“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 historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. We cannot allow this situation to continue.”

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.

To purchase a ticket, contact Rosie Crawford at waterton2@yahoo.co.uk

For further information, please contact:

Farel James at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867221 or 07592 502708 or Farel.James@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 a key player in the development strategy 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.