A woman from Rode Heath in Cheshire who works as the New Business Manager (North) for Clarion Housing Ltd in Holmes Chapel, is running the London Marathon this year inspired by two young men, both lost to brain tumours.

On Sunday 22^nd April 2018, Rachel Hollins, 41, will be pounding the streets of the capital to raise money for the pioneering charity Brain Tumour Research, which is funding world-leading research to find a cure for the disease.

Rachel experienced the son of one of her very good friends dying of a brain tumour, aged 18, just 12 months after being diagnosed.

Also, the company Rachel works for has chosen the Darel Bryan Foundation, a fundraising group under the umbrella of Brain Tumour Research as its charity of the year. Darel Bryan was a housing officer, working in London for Clarion Housing, when he was diagnosed with aggressive glioblastoma multiforme brain tumours.  An otherwise very fit and healthy 33-year-old, Darel experienced a seizure at work. A biopsy confirmed that the tumours were grade 4, meaning cancerous. Because of their location, surgery wasn’t initially considered suitable, so Darel underwent gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment in an attempt to control the tumours. Tragically Darel passed away 15 months later in February 2016, aged 34.

Rachel explained: “We desperately need to fund more research to find more effective treatments and ultimately a cure. I have seen the devastation this disease causes to families through my friend’s experience and I was very moved when a member of the fundraising team at Brain Tumour Research came to give a talk about Darel. I learnt that 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 horrendous illness. This is totally unacceptable.

“This will be my fifth marathon and my third London Marathon, but it’s still just as hard, even having run most of my adult life with the support of Biddulph Running Club in Stoke on Trent where I am a member.

“I have raised funds for Brain Tumour Research before, as well as the Christie Hospital in Manchester, where my friend’s son was treated, but I really hope that my friends and family will be happy to donate again. I am going to push myself and go for a Personal Best of three hours and 23 minutes. Fingers crossed!”

Darel’s partner, Natalie Overs, 34, of Bow, East London, said: “Darel endured six weeks of radiotherapy, 12 months of five different chemotherapies, two operations, over five months of hospital stays and every alternative and natural treatment we could lay our hands on, but his battle was never one he was going to win.

“I am extremely grateful to Rachel for her support and for taking on the London Marathon in Darel’s name.”

Janice Wright, Community Fundraising Manager for Brain Tumour Research said:

“For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer. Experiences like Darel’s remind us all that we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue. We are extremely grateful to Rachel for her support. Together we will find a cure.”

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Rachel’s JustGiving page go to www.justgiving.com/Rachel-Hollins1

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 are building a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK. Embracing passionate member charities nationwide, £5.5 million was raised towards research and support during 2016.

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 charity is celebrating a year of high-profile campaigning on this issue following the unprecedented success of its petition in 2016. Following that, Brain Tumour Research is now taking a leading role in the Government’s Task and Finish Working Group convened to tackle the historic underfunding for research.

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.