The family of a much-loved Portobello florist are choosing hope this Christmas as they launch an appeal to help find a cure for brain tumours.

Ronnie Perring, a hard-working family man, was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour whilst on a family holiday in 2014. He was 41 at the time and immediately had to give up his livelihood and stop running the family’s floristry business, The Flowered Corner, on Ladbroke Grove.

For more than 30 years, Ronnie had been a familiar face on the bustling market and Christmas has always been one of his favourite times of the year. The dad-of-three loved selling Christmas trees and it was a tradition for his family to join in the floral festivities.

Ronnie and his family have faced several challenges over the years as he underwent two operations, radiotherapy and chemotherapy. In February 2017, after Ronnie had a check-up scan, the Perrings were told to prepare for the worst. Daughter Beckie planned her wedding for the following August and Ronnie proudly walked her down the aisle. Now, over a year later, Ronnie is continuing his treatment whilst being cared for at home by his wife Caroline. The future is far from certain and everyone in the tight-knit family is doing their best to make the most of every day.

His son George said: “There have been many lows since Dad’s diagnosis but he always comes back fighting. It can be hard at times but with the support of family and friends, we are choosing hope and, for brain tumour patients like my dad, that means more research. We want to inspire others to support the Brain Tumour Research charity and raise awareness of the lack of funding for research into the disease.”

Ronnie’s family is sharing his story as part of the charity’s Christmas appeal across London. They hope to raise £5,000 towards research so that patients like Ronnie can access improved treatment options and, ultimately, a cure.

Janice Wright, community fundraising manager for 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.

“Ronnie and his family have been through an exceptionally hard time and we’re extremely grateful to them for supporting our Christmas appeal. Sadly, Ronnie’s situation is not unique and thousands of other families are affected. Please support us and help us give hope this Christmas.”

To donate to the Perrings’ Christmas appeal please go to www.braintumourresearch.org/our-christmas-wish/ronnie  

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.