Three generations and a guide dog from Aylesbury have helped to launch a national fundraising campaign aimed at finding a cure for brain tumours.

Shannon Moore, aged 22 from Long Meadow, is a brain tumour patient and supporter of the national charity Brain Tumour Research. Joined by her mother Paula White, father Trevor Moore, grandmother Lorraine White who is a long-time supporter and volunteer for the charity, grandfather Trevor White, and her Labrador guide dog Indy, Shannon travelled to Milton Keynes to support the official launch of the Wear A Hat Day which takes place on Thursday 29^th March.

The family attended the event at the charity’s HQ on Saturday 3^rd March, where they met businesswoman, model and brain tumour survivor Caprice Bourret.

Shannon was first diagnosed with a craniopharyngioma brain tumour aged only nine years old. After several operations, courses of radiotherapy and hormone treatment, 22-year-old Shannon is now certified blind. Shannon, said: “I’m so pleased to be part of the Wear a Hat Day 2018 launch. Seeing so many patients, families and supporters come together is really inspiring and it gives me hope that one day a cure for this horrible disease will be found.”

Paula, Shannon’s mother, added: “Despite the snow, we were all so determined to attend the Wear A Hat Day launch. We’ve experienced first-hand how devastating and life-changing a brain tumour diagnosis is for patients and their families, which is why it’s so important to us that research into this disease continues. Other families haven’t been as lucky as us, so the least we can do is don our hats for Wear A Hat Day and help to raise awareness.”

Caprice underwent surgery to remove a low-grade brain tumour which was diagnosed a year ago and continues to be monitored by her medical team. Launching Wear A Hat Day 2018, she said: “I have been so touched by Shannon’s story. It is a sad fact that brain tumours affect so many people and that this devastating disease is indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age – I never even used to get headaches before I was diagnosed.

“I’m proud to be working with Shannon and so many others to support Wear A Hat Day. I want everyone to get involved! It’s such a fun event and anyone can take part. Let’s all put our hats on, do something positive and support the fantastic research going on right now. I‘m determined to try to make a difference for the 16,000 people diagnosed with a brain tumour each year.”

Other high-profile names supporting Wear A Hat Day 2018 are television, radio and stage performer, Debbie McGee, who lost husband Paul Daniels to a brain tumour in 2016 and actor and author Sheila Hancock CBE, whose grandson survived a childhood brain tumour.

Specsavers will be supporting Wear A Hat Day 2018 as an official sponsor for the first time.

Wear A Hat Day has raised over a million pounds since it was launched by Brain Tumour Research nine years ago and is the culmination of Brain Tumour Awareness Month in March. The big day will see schools, workplaces, families and individuals across the UK fundraising and taking part in fun events to raise awareness of brain tumours and help fund life-saving research.

Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone, at any age. What’s more, they 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.

Funds raised through Wear A Hat Day 2018 will develop the charity’s network of world-class brain tumour research centres in the UK.

To get involved, or donate, please visit: www.wearahatday.org

Or text HAT to 70660 to donate £5*

#HATTASTIC

* Texts cost £5 plus network charge. Brain Tumour Research receives 100% of your donation. Obtain the bill payer’s permission. Call 01908 867200 with any queries.

For further information, please contact:
Farel Williams at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867239 or 07592 502708 or Farel.Williams@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 being 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.