A Whitehaven woman who lost her father to a brain tumour is sponsoring research to help find a cure for the disease.
Vicky Todd’s father Chris, a former miner, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma brain tumour when he was 63, after suffering violent headaches and stroke-like symptoms.
He underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy in Newcastle, his nearest neurological unit, but continued to deteriorate and passed away aged 65 in November 2016, leaving his wife Audrey, children Vicky and Karl and six grandchildren.
Vicky, who works in the civic nuclear industry, said: “Dad’s consultant told us he was having five star gold standard treatment for his brain tumour, but the treatment has barely changed for decades and there is no cure for glioblastoma. Shockingly, the survival prognosis for this aggressive type of brain tumour is typically just 12 to 18 months.
“I couldn’t sit by and watch Dad die so I set about raising funds for the charity Brain Tumour Research. At the outset I was doing it to make my dad well again, but now I’m doing it in his memory and to help others.”
After losing her dad, Vicky set up ‘In Chris’ Memory’ – a fundraising group under the umbrella of Brain Tumour Research. She has since raised over £41,000 to help find a cure for brain tumours through challenges, raffles and fundraising campaigns.
Vicky added: “Dad told me all the time how proud he was of me. I am determined to put all my energy into doing what I can to raise money for research.”
As a result of her fundraising, the 49-year-old and her partner Graeme McDermott were invited yesterday by the charity Brain Tumour Research to its Centre of Excellence at Imperial College, London where a surgical team under leading neurosurgeon Mr Kevin O’Neill is exploring ways to improve the complex science of neurosurgery.
The couple were among a select group of supporters given the opportunity to hear presentations from principal investigators and speak to scientists about their work to find a cure for the disease, before placing 12 tiles dedicated to Chris on the Wall of Hope.
Each tile placed represents the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research and celebrates the fundraising achievements of the family or supporter involved.
Vicky said: “Before Dad was diagnosed, we’d never heard of anyone dying from a brain tumour. It was such a shock to lose him so quickly. Much more funding needs to go into research because treatments for brain tumour patients have barely changed for decades. We are doing our best to raise awareness and funds to make a difference.
“It was heartening to hear from the scientists at Imperial that breakthroughs are being made in the quest to find a cure.”
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are grateful to Vicky for her support. Chris’ story reminds us that brain tumours are indiscriminate and can affect anyone at any age.
“We cannot allow this desperate situation to continue. Brain Tumour Research is determined to change outcomes for brain tumour patients and ultimately find a cure.”
