Brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

That will come as a shock to many and yet it is the stark truth. Under 2% of Government funding goes towards brain tumour cancer research. That is so sad considering the fact that every 2 hours someone in the UK is diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Even more devastating is the fact that only 12% of brain tumour patients survive beyond 5 years of their diagnosis - whereas it is over 70% for breast cancer and over 40% for leukaemia patients.

I am 1 of the 12% who have survived beyond 5 years...

I was diagnosed with a brain tumour in my early 30s and just 2 years into my marriage. It turned my whole world and that of my family upside down. I had to have brain surgery in order to remove the tumour which had already affected my vision. I underwent a 9 hour surgery followed by 2 weeks in hospital. I just about made it out alive.

The hardest part of having a brain tumour is that you are constantly navigating unchartered waters. Once you are sent home after the surgery you are on your own. There is very little support or help offered and it is up to the patient and the family to carry the burden. You are affected mentally, physically and emotionally. I was not allowed to drive for a year in case of epileptic seizures. I suffered (and continue to do so) with extreme brain fatigue which does not ease with rest, changes in personality and behaviour, mood swings, insomnia, migraines, impaired memory, lack of concentration/focus, and problems with reading and writing.

I was diagnosed with a 2nd brain tumour 5 years later at which point in my life I was a mother to 3 year old twins. Another brain surgery followed by a stay in hospital. Needless to say it impacted us all and changed our lives. I still remember being told that the twins would cry when they were at home because they did not know where I was...

5 years later and I was diagnosed yet again with my 3rd brain tumour. This time it was considered too dangerous to operate on the brain again so I had radiation treatment and my tumour continues to be stable. In all, it has been a journey of 17 years. The only thing that has seen me through is my family and The Hillingdon Brain Tumour and Injury Group. This is a small charity that is run by Becky Haggar, who is also The Mayor of Hillingdon. Becky came into my life 16 years ago like an angel from above. She started the charity because her husband took his own life after struggling with little or no support following a brain tumour diagnosis. It is because of this charity that people like me felt less alone. It was a home away from home. A place where nobody judged you. You felt understood, accepted and safe. The things that I could not tell my friends and family, I found it easy to speak about at the support groups because the others could relate.

This is why I am raising money for this charity. It is based in Hillingdon, but helps people from all over. The charity holds weekly support groups, it has expert guest speakers in areas such as oncology, neuro-psychology, seizure/epilepsy, benefits specialists from DWP, and also offers complementary therapies such as acupuncture, reflexology and reiki. 

Finally, there is no cause and no cure for brain tumours. Please contribute all you can to this charity that is making a difference and changing lives. I know it has changed mine for the better. 

Thank you.