The family of a farmer who died from a brain tumour are making spirits bright this Christmas as they back the Brain Tumour Research charity’s fundraising appeal.

After losing Adam Forster in 2014, his family have channelled their grief into fundraising and raising awareness of brain tumours. This Christmas, they want to inspire others to do the same and they are supporting an appeal to raise £5,000 in the north east in order to improve treatment options and, ultimately, find a cure.

Adam, who farmed at Shotley Bridge, died aged 42 after being diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma multiforme. The tumour was inoperable but the keen hunting man underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, despite treatment, Adam deteriorated and passed away less than a year after his diagnosis. He left his parents Terry and Ann, sister Kerry, brother-in-law Carl and three young nieces, Gracie, Ellie and Lauren.

Kerry said: “Losing Adam devastated our family and all we could do was channel our grief into fundraising. Nothing will ever make up for our loss but putting our energy into funding the fight against brain tumours gives us hope. By sharing Adam’s story and raising awareness, we want to show people that some good can come from the pain. Only research can bring us closer to that light at the end of the tunnel.”

Before Adam died, his dad Terry told him he would raise money for research into the disease by organising an annual Santa Bike Run with a fleet of Santa Clauses spreading Christmas cheer through the streets of Consett. The fifth annual event will take place on Saturday 15 December and Terry, who rides his old Harley Davidson each year, will lead his merry band on a 30-mile trip around Consett, stopping at Lintzford Mill Garden Centre and ending at The Crown and Crossed Swords in Shotley Bridge. Adam’s family are also spreading goodwill at a Christmas Quiz Night on Friday 7 December at Ebchester Village Hall.

Matthew Price, community fundraising manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: ““Brain tumours 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.

“The ongoing support of Adam’s family is invaluable to us and we’re delighted that they are encouraging others to follow in their footsteps this Christmas.

“Christmas is a time for family and celebration but many families are suffering this Christmas as they mourn a loved one or face a bleak future. Please help us to give hope to these patients and families. Together we will find a cure.”

To help make this family’s wish come true this Christmas please go to https://www.braintumourresearch.org/our-christmas-wish/adam

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at Research 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.

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
• 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.