A Penrith business has organised an event to raise awareness and funds for pioneering treatment for an “inspirational” student who was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer two-and-a-half years ago.
Laura Nuttall was a natural when she learned to drive a digger on July 3 and ticked it off her bucket list.
The event, organised by Cumbrian Penrith-based plant hire company Waitings, also raised awareness about brain tumours – the biggest cancer killer of children and under-40 in the UK – and raise money for pioneering immunotherapy treatment in Germany in the hope of extending 21-year-old Laura’s life.
‘Doing it for Laura 2021’ was launched on GoFundMe by Laura’s mum, Nicola Nuttall, from Barrowford, Lancashire in the hope of raising £80,000 for further treatment which is not available on the NHS.
The Waitings share a poignant link with the Nuttalls as their former head Victoria Waiting, died from glioblastoma, the most common aggressive brain tumour in adults, at the age of 44 in 2016, leaving husband Stewart Waugh and children James and Alexandra.
Event organiser Sophie Waiting said: “Before my sister-in-law Victoria, who was married to my brother Robert, died, she had a digger sprayed pink and donated a percentage of all its profits to cancer charities, this year’s will go to Laura.
“We are certain that Victoria would be very proud to be supporting the Nuttall family – with love from an amazing lady who didn’t make it, to an amazing lady who is helping The Brain Tumour Charity raise so much awareness about brain tumours.”
Drove the digger solo
After a safety briefing and tuition from Waitings foreman Dan Morgan, Laura drove the digger solo and was given some soil moving tasks.
Sophie said: “ We thought she might be driving about twenty minutes but more than hours later she was still beaming and amazed by her new skills.
“She was offered a job at Waitings immediately but unfortunately she wants to finish her degree first!
“We then all enjoyed afternoon tea which was donated by Birchalls Foodservice and Burnley Leisure and Culture.
“We so loved hearing about all of the famous people Laura has met and the things she has done from her bucket list. Tom and my favourite thing was her going fishing with Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer.”
And Sophie filmed a touching video, with a voice-over by her seven-year-old son, Tom, charting Victoria and Laura’s stories and Laura driving the digger.
Laura, 21, who is a Young Ambassador with The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “I had a brilliant time learning to drive the digger – and another tick off my bucket list – which helps me to focus on the positive.
“I’m so grateful to Waitings for their amazing support and to everyone that has contributed to my fund.”
As well as a percentage of all the eye-catching pink digger profits going to Laura’s fund, it will be sign-written with a QR code, which people can scan and takes them directly to the fundraising page.
Laura has already ticked off driving a tube train, HGV, bus and motorbike from her bucket list and will be adding digger driving when she has her lesson at the CTV site compound site in Dearham, west Cumbria.
She also been on safari in South Africa, watched Saturday Night Live being filmed in New York, met Michelle Obama and fished with Paul Whitehouse and Bob Mortimer.
Laura, a second-year politics, philosophy and economics student at Manchester University was diagnosed with a glioblastoma in Autumn 2018, just weeks after starting at Kings College London.
Routine eye test leads to diagnosis
She put her symptoms down to “fresher’s flu,” but a routine eye test led to her devastating diagnosis of several brain tumours.
After surgery to remove the largest tumour on November 7 2018, biopsy results revealed the devastating news that Laura had a glioblastoma, which has an average prognosis of 12-18 months,
Laura – who was voted The Brain Tumour Charity’s Influencer of the Year 2020 – then underwent gruelling chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
A routine scan revealed regrowth of Laura’s tumour in March and now the family need to raise another £80,000 so she continues the innovative treatment.
Nicola said: “ Laura had a second surgery at the end of March and now the plan is for two further dendritic cell vaccinations and a course of a checkpoint inhibitor called Pembrolizumab.
“None of this is available on the NHS of course so we are faced with the enormous challenge of raising a further £80k. We appreciate that Laura’s had a great deal of support already and we’re so grateful to everyone that has raised funds for her.
“I don’t think she’d be here without it and her role as a Young Ambassador with The Brain Tumour Charity, who have given us amazing support, her studying and community work have given her a real purpose.
“We are so sorry for the Waitings’ loss of Victoria to this cruel disease and are incredibly touched and grateful they are helping to raise money for Laura’s treatment in her memory.”
