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Press release
Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years
Magician Paul Daniels remembered with unique charity badge
Jan 17, 2017
International magician Paul Daniels is the inspiration behind a unique pin badge being sold to raise funds for research into the disease which took his life.
As the first anniversary of Paul’s death approaches, his widow Debbie McGee is working with the national charity Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness of brain tumours and proceeds from the new badge – featuring a white rabbit in a pink top hat – will help researchers who are dedicated to finding a cure.
Debbie who first met Paul back in 1979 said: “Paul died four weeks and five days after the diagnosis. I still miss him every day. I still love spending time with our rabbits, he loved them so much and they make me think of him.
“I am really proud to be able to work with Brain Tumour Research in this way and I think Paul would have been too. I hope people will buy these badges – by wearing one they’ll be remembering Paul and supporting vital research.”
Debbie was involved in the design of the badge which features a white rabbit, like those used in the couple’s stage show, holding a magician’s wand as it peeps out of a pink top hat. The hat is the iconic symbol of UK-wide fundraiser Wear A Hat Day which this year takes place on Friday 31st March.
The badge is available for a suggested donation of £5 on eBay and is already selling well. The first one off the production line was presented to Debbie at the couple’s home in Wargrave, Berkshire.
Sue Farrington Smith, Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are enormously grateful to Debbie who, like so many of our supporters, is bravely sharing her story with the aim of ensuring other families do not have to bear the pain they have experienced.
“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. This is unacceptable!”
Since losing Paul last March, Debbie– always introduced by Paul on stage as “the lovely Debbie McGee" – has continued to work. She has just finished a panto run in York and will be back on TV this year in new Channel Five reality show Carry on Barging, alongside stars such as Nigel Havers and Lorraine Chase.
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact:
Susan Castle-Smith at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867206 or 07886 241639 susan@braintumourresearch.org
As the first anniversary of Paul’s death approaches, his widow Debbie McGee is working with the national charity Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness of brain tumours and proceeds from the new badge – featuring a white rabbit in a pink top hat – will help researchers who are dedicated to finding a cure.
Debbie who first met Paul back in 1979 said: “Paul died four weeks and five days after the diagnosis. I still miss him every day. I still love spending time with our rabbits, he loved them so much and they make me think of him.
“I am really proud to be able to work with Brain Tumour Research in this way and I think Paul would have been too. I hope people will buy these badges – by wearing one they’ll be remembering Paul and supporting vital research.”
Debbie was involved in the design of the badge which features a white rabbit, like those used in the couple’s stage show, holding a magician’s wand as it peeps out of a pink top hat. The hat is the iconic symbol of UK-wide fundraiser Wear A Hat Day which this year takes place on Friday 31st March.
The badge is available for a suggested donation of £5 on eBay and is already selling well. The first one off the production line was presented to Debbie at the couple’s home in Wargrave, Berkshire.
Sue Farrington Smith, Chief Executive of Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are enormously grateful to Debbie who, like so many of our supporters, is bravely sharing her story with the aim of ensuring other families do not have to bear the pain they have experienced.
“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. This is unacceptable!”
Since losing Paul last March, Debbie– always introduced by Paul on stage as “the lovely Debbie McGee" – has continued to work. She has just finished a panto run in York and will be back on TV this year in new Channel Five reality show Carry on Barging, alongside stars such as Nigel Havers and Lorraine Chase.
-ENDS-
For further information, please contact:
Susan Castle-Smith at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867206 or 07886 241639 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 are building a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, £5.5 million was raised towards research and support during 2016.
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 charity is celebrating a year of high-profile campaigning on this issue following the unprecedented success of its petition in 2016. Following that, Brain Tumour Research is now taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research.
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
- 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.