In Hope

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”

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.