Turning an 8 yr brain tumour living experience into a fun(d)raising celebration

It will be 8 years this March when Neil returned home having undergone urgent, life-saving surgery at Kings College Hospital, because of a brain tumour sitting in the middle of his brain. The discover of the tumour helped explain various symptom he experienced including, his gradual unsteadiness, headaches, and why one night, returning from the loo, he completely missed the bedroom door. It was at that moment he realised that something was seriously wrong, and one that he shared with Dr Linda Mizun, from AfternoonTeawithdocs.com, in an online conversation. During their conversation, Linda happen to ask Neil how he felt, prior to going to hospital. He explained that was probably one of the most scary and significant moments, until he found himself in a room at Kings College Hospital being told he couldn't go home and that they were preparing a bed for him to have urgent surgery. They had spotted a growth in his brain following an MRI scan.

What makes all this a little ironic, as some of people reading this may know, Neil is a neuroscientist who founded and runs the Person-Centred Neurosciences Society. But as he explain in article published last year; it is thanks to those eight years of a living experience, that he has gained an understanding of how, by becoming trauma informed, he can, through his 'day job' look for opportunities to help make a difference to the quality of life of others, who may find themselves in a less fortunate situation than Neil, and how are living with a neurological diagnosis.

So that, in part, is what has driven him to organise the #TonbridgeTeafest. A one day 'fun(d)raising' event so he can thank those organisations, people and their families, who give so much support and help to people, like Neil, but also those who have perhaps been less fortunate than Neil, when it comes to a living, or perhaps lived experience, with a brain tumour.

They are the Brainstrust, who provide a wonderful service in supporting the quality of life of people and families living with brain tumours, along with Matthew's Friends , who’s specialist dietitian advised me when I started the #ketogenicdiet, to help slow the growth of the brain tumour. Although, the diet is better know in the healthcare world for successfully controlling epilepsy seizures, especially in children.

So Tonbridge Teafest will combine his love of music with a desire to showcase how it is possible to run cake sales with next to no sugar; something he has coined kakesales. This is because many of the cakes on offer during the Tonbridge Teafest can be eaten by people who follow a low carb and ketogenic lifestyle.

Of course, not everyone, who may wish to support the fundraising efforts for Brainstrust, Matthews Friends and Lifestyle Health Foundation (a Tonbridge based Foundation set up by Neil, which you can learn about from www.lifestylehealth.org.uk) can make it along to Tonbridge on 29th of April 2023 (postponed from 2022, due to the death of the Queen) to enjoy the delicious kakes and the music to be performed by various local music groups.

Due to the postponement of the Teafest, we had to set up this new Justgiving page. The funds we had raised up to the point original page was closed by Justgiving, will be transferred to this page.

Our hope it that by the end of the Teafest will have hit our target of £5000, which is to be shared evenly between the three organisations.

It just leaves us to thank everyone who is getting behind this event and for your support. Neil wish anyone who visits and is able to support the fundraising, that your support means a great deal as it is contributing to and enabling him to transform what was rather traumatising experience into what he know described as a wonderful 'loved experience'. To help explain what he means by that, here is a clip from his conversation with Dr Linda Mizun.