Two Guisborough sisters have taken part in a fundraising walk in aid of the Brain Tumour Research charity following the death of their grandmother.

Ellie and Heidi Edwards, aged five and three, completed the 3.9-mile Walk of Hope at the Rising Sun Country Park in memory of Elaine Neesam-Smith who died from a brain tumour at the age of 52. The girls have successfully raised over £850 so far which will help the charity raise awareness of brain tumours and fund vital research into the disease.

Elaine, a Compliance Manager at Barclaycard, was placed in an induced coma in October 2017 after having a fit and collapsing whilst shopping at the supermarket. Consultants suspected a stroke and Elaine returned home shortly after. In December, however, she collapsed again and she was diagnosed with an inoperable glioblastoma multiforme – a highly aggressive type of brain tumour. Elaine was moved to Yew Tree Care Centre in Redcar where she stayed until her death in March 2018.

Danielle Edwards, mum to Ellie and Heidi and daughter of Elaine, said: “I’m so proud of the girls for taking part in the Walk of Hope – they were so excited to be doing something in memory of their grandma, who they call their ‘star in the sky’. They’ve raised a brilliant amount already and we would be grateful for any extra donations as this cause is so close to our hearts.”

Matthew Price, Community Fundraising Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Ellie and Heidi are remarkable little girls who joined the walk to help prevent other people suffering like their grandma did. We really value their support and thank them for taking part in the Walk of Hope.

“Elaine’s story reminds us that less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers. We cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.”

The money raised will help Brain Tumour Research in its mission to fund dedicated Research Centres of Excellence in the UK and to campaign for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research nationally.

To sponsor Ellie and Heidi, go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/danielle-edwards17

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 basic research groundwork 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). We are supporting the crucial APPGBT 2018 Inquiry into the economic and social impacts of brain tumours and will publish their report in the autumn. We are also a key influencer 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
• 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.