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In Hope

Just 1% of the national research spend has been allocated to this devastating disease

The diagnosis of a brain tumour is devastating, however there is hope. We have been fortunate to meet some very brave people who have survived to tell the tale and who want to share their story to give hope to others.

Recently published stories

Indeg Glyn Roberts

Indeg from Rhoshirwaen in North Wales was just six when she was diagnosed with a grade 3 anaplastic ependymoma in November 2020. The shocking revelation came after months of vomiting, which doctors thought was caused by a virus. The schoolgirl had life-saving surgery at Alder Hey Hospital followed by months of proton beam therapy. Indeg also received chemotherapy as part of an international trial at Alder Hey in Liverpool. Now nine, Indeg leads a normal life and is monitored with regular scans. 

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Angela Whicker

Angela Whicker, a mum-of-two from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, was diagnosed with a brain tumour – later identified as a grade 3 astrocytoma – in November 2022 after suffering from focal seizures. The 45-year-old, who works for a housing association, underwent a debulking surgery and radiotherapy, and is now part-way through a 12-month course of chemotherapy. 

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Colin Jamieson

Colin Jamieson, of Emberton, Buckinghamshire, was diagnosed with two brain tumours, later identified as likely grade 1 subependymomas or ependymomas, in July 2018. For at least three years he had been suffering with headaches, sickness and tiredness, but these symptoms were attributed to migraines and him working long hours. It was only when he became violently sick, forgetful and unable to eat, drink or lift his head that he was sent to hospital and treated for severe hydrocephalus. The 59-year-old is now being monitored with regular scans having undergone two shunt surgeries, two debulking surgeries and radiotherapy. His wife, Antia, 45, has since been diagnosed with a meningioma, which is also being monitored.

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Andrew Crowe

Andrew Crowe is in his early 40s and lives in Swindon. He has a brain tumour and has been through numerous operations and is trying hard to regain his normal life. Read more

Andrew Scarborough

Andrew was just 27 when he was diagnosed with a high-grade anaplastic astrocytoma brain tumour. He underwent surgery and began chemotherapy but after four months he stopped the treatment and made significant changes to his diet. Five years on and Andrew has had no tumour growth, and is continuing to follow a restricted Palaeolithic ketogenic diet. His quality of life has drastically improved and he is dedicating his studies to research into the disease.

“Research into brain tumours is the only hope. We need more studies and clinical data, but in the meantime, I will continue to use myself as a human guinea pig. I know my cancer could come back at any time but if we understand more from a metabolic standpoint, then brain tumours can potentially become a condition we live with, rather than a disease we die from. It’s my passion and my dream and I desperately want to help others and help to shape the future in a positive way”

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Andrew Stammers

Andrew is a practising ordained Baptist Minister at Radstock Baptist Church in Somerset. He lives with his wife Suzanne and three daughters, Gracie, Tamzin and Amwyn. Read more

Andy Shipsey

Andy Shipsey was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma five years ago. Since then, he’s had to adapt to a new norm. Once a keen footballer, runner and cyclist, his tumour caused irreversible deafness and vertigo, meaning he can no longer enjoy the sports he loved. Andy, 37, works in finance for University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust and lives in Plympton with his partner Ruth, 49, and her son Ben, 23, who recently completed a 10k run for Brain Tumour Research.

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Angela Whicker

Angela Whicker, a mum-of-two from Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, was diagnosed with a brain tumour – later identified as a grade 3 astrocytoma – in November 2022 after suffering from focal seizures. The 45-year-old, who works for a housing association, underwent a debulking surgery and radiotherapy, and is now part-way through a 12-month course of chemotherapy. 

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Ann Brown

Mam-of-two Ann Brown had experienced a range of unusual symptoms for 16 years but it wasn’t until her life slowed down during the COVID-19 UK lockdown, that she noticed just how bad those symptoms had become. In May 2020, she was finally diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumour. She underwent a craniotomy, followed by a six-week course of radiotherapy treatment. Ann, 41, is now medically retired. As she reflects on a truly life-changing year, she is focusing on her family, as well as turning her attention to fundraising, to help find a cure for brain tumours. Read more

Ann Swadden

Ann was 24 and had been married to Alan for less than a year when she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. In March, National Brain Tumour Awareness month, she will undergo a craniotomy procedure to remove the low-grade glioma. She opted to have surgery rather than “watch and wait” as she wants to be free of the tumour when she moves into her new home and looks forward to starting a family.

“I was given a choice: watch and wait or have surgery to remove the tumour. I have opted to have the operation on the basis that I am fit and healthy and have been advised I can expect to recover well. Without doubt, this is a really big thing but I know that there will be people around me whose job it is to make sure I don’t die and that I maintain a good quality of life. If anything, I am more apprehensive about the recovery than the operation itself. I know that I will need some form of speech therapy although my surgeon did joke that I was really good at talking so he didn’t think that would be a big problem!”
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Anna Berankova

Anna was diagnosed with a brain tumour after experiencing facial spasms and her face began to look asymmetrical. For many years she declined any intervention or conventional treatment, preferring instead to trust her own instinct and to “watch and wait.” But, when a scan revealed growth, albeit minimal, she had an important decision to make.

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Anna Binks

Anna Binks, 43, from East Yorkshire, had an MRI scan in 2010 after blood tests revealed high prolactin levels. The scan found a suspected low-grade glioma which doctors were happy to monitor with regular scans. Ten years later, the mum-of-two started suffering from headaches and dizzy spells. She had another scan which found she had a diffuse astrocytoma brain tumour. Anna’s son, Jacob, seven, has taken on Brain Tumour Research’s One Million Keepy Uppy Challenge along with his teammates at South Cave Under 8’s Blacks to help fund a cure.

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Anne Murdy

Registered nurse and mother-of-one Anne Murdy was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumour in March 2020. The diagnosis came after several months of Anne going back and forth to her GP with a range of unusual symptoms, include urinary issues, changes to her voice, problems swallowing and increasing unsteadiness. The symptoms were initially thought to be related to the menopause but months later, when she was finally sent for an MRI scan, doctors found a golf-ball sized tumour in her brain.

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