Over the next 12 months me and my trusty sidekick Arno, the Bracco Italiano, are aiming to walk at least 1200 miles. This will not be a step counting exercise and only walks over 3 miles will count towards the final total. We hope to take in as much of the east coast of Scotland as possible. Please read Susan's Story below.

Some Facts-

1. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and
   adults under 40.
2. Over 10,600 people are diagnosed each year with a primary
   brain tumour – that's 29 people every day.
3. Over 5,000 people lose their lives to a brain tumour each year.
4. At least 102,000 people are estimated to be living with a
   brain tumour in the UK currently.
5. Brain tumours reduce life expectancy by on average 20 years
   – the highest of any cancer.
6. Just 19% of adults survive for five years after diagnosis.
7. Brain tumours are the largest cause of preventable or
   treatable blindness in children.
8. Research offers the only real hope of dramatic improvements
   in the management and treatment of brain tumours. Less than 2% of the £498
   million invested in cancer research funding in the UK in 2014 was spent on
   brain tumours.

Susan's Story-

On August 1st 2001 six months after our daughter had been born Susan suffered a seizure at home, she was rushed into A&E at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary where she suffered another tonic clonic seizure.

Scans showed a tumour which was later diagnosed as an oligodendroglioma tumour. This was bad enough but as a result of the tumour Susan now had epilepsy which had a greater impact on our lives than the tumour at that time.

In August 2002 Susan underwent her first surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, this went well and things settled for a few years.

In 2009  a scan showed changes again and Susan then underwent radiotherapy treatment which was extremely hard for her both mentally and physically.

Last year in April 2016 she had an awake craniotomy which we hoped would again stop things for a good few years but unfortunately scans in February showed a new area of tumour and Susan has now just embarked on 9 months of chemotherapy. 

Throughout all this Susan has showed incredible bravery and has been inspirational to many people. She has brought up two wonderful children and attempted to lead as normal a life as she possibly can but it is always there in the background and every yearly scan is a trauma as you never know what the result will be.

Please help me raise money to help advance the research into brain tumours so the great work that is getting done can be continued and help prolong and save many more lives.

PS This is also my small tribute to Jon Brookes the drummer from my favourite band The Charlatans who died due to a brain tumour on 13th August 2013.