On Sunday 22^nd April 2018, Jennifer White will be pounding the streets of the capital to raise money for pioneering, national charity Brain Tumour Research. The charity is funding world-leading research to find a cure for the disease.

Jenny, who had to pull out of last year’s London Marathon due to injury, lost her mother, Kathy Bridge, also of Nuneaton, just four months after she suffered a seizure. Kathy was 62 when she passed away, leaving her grown-up children, Jenny, Laura and Bobby all heart-broken.  

Jenny, 37, of Quantock Drive and who works for building merchants, Taylor Maxwell, explained: “Mum was known to many people in the town – she had been a teaching assistant at St Paul’s C of E Primary School for 16 years until she became ill.  She was also a keen member of the rambling club in Nuneaton, but first and foremost Mum lived for her family.

“Losing Mum has left a huge hole in our lives and for her to die from a brain tumour was the most horrible way for her to go.  She changed so much both physically and mentally. It was awful watching her deteriorate in this way.  But whilst it was absolutely heart-wrenching to lose the woman I considered my best friend, I would have hated to see her continuing to suffer for any longer.  I feel for anyone who has to go through the agony of a brain tumour.”

“The shock of discovering that Mum had a brain tumour was horrible and to learn that nothing could be done to save her was very distressing.  It’s a sad fact that brain tumours can affect anyone at any time but no-one knows what causes them.

“Treatments for patients like Mum are very limited. I hope my efforts will help raise awareness of this awful and indiscriminate disease and draw attention to the dreadful under-funding of research which has gone on for far too long.” 

Jenny continued: “I am feeling nervous, but excited about running the marathon. I have done as many miles as I can while looking after two small children (Evelyn is five and Edward two) and am as fit as I can be. Thankfully, and fingers crossed, I have remained injury-free this year, apart from the aches and pains which pretty much anyone who runs over ten miles experiences, unless you are a professional distance runner. I hope I do my Mum proud on the day whilst raising funds for a worthy cause.”

Michael Thelwall, Head of Community Fundraising (South) for Brain Tumour Research said: 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.

“For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer. Experiences like Kathy’s remind us all that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue. We are extremely grateful to Jenny for her support. and are appealing for runners who have a ballot place for the marathon to join her on Team Brain Tumour Research by nominating us as their chosen charity for 2018. Together we will find a cure.”

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Jennifer’s JustGiving page go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jennifer-white1980  

For further information, please contact: Liz Fussey at Brain Tumour Research on 07811 068357 or liz@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 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 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.