Sadly my mum passed away on the 7th July 2019, aged 49. I will now be running for her and in her memory.

This year my amazing friend Charlotte and I have decided to run The Great North Run for Leeds Cancer Centre, Leeds Cares. As many of you may know, my mum has been battling a brain tumour for nearly seven years.

On the 2nd October 2012 my family’s world was turned upside down when I was woken up in the early hours of the morning to an ambulance member informing me my mum had suffered a seizure in her sleep, she had no symptoms prior to this. This was the start of our battle against cancer, as she was diagnosed with a brain tumour. 

Our seven year journey began with my mum undergoing a craniotomy to de bulk the tumour at the Leeds General Infirmary, following recovery she returned to work as a primary school teacher a job she had held for over 20 years. In the following year we received the devastating news that the tumour had grown back and later that year my mum underwent an awake craniotomy, allowing doctors to keep a close eye on her as they operated in such delicate spaces of the brain. 

Although a success the tumour still hadn’t learnt its message and my mum began 30 sessions of radiotherapy at St James’ Hospital Leeds, this meant my dad had to drive my mum daily to Leeds, a 102 mile round trip from our house in North Yorkshire. Following my mums first operation she had to surrender her driving licence for medical reasons, meaning my Dad had to do so much for us all, this included looking after my brother and I who were 15 and 13, taking us to school whilst caring for my mum and transporting her to and from radiotherapy sessions. 

The radiotherapy looked to be a success, however it had changed my mum’s life forever, causing her to retire from teaching. After constant monitoring we received the amazing news that the tumour was stable, so we celebrated with a holiday to South Africa and Dubai in the summer of 2016. 

All was starting to feel normal again, my mum was on the up, my dad was still smiling, I’d just finished my first year at university and my younger brother Jake had completed his GCSEs when we received the news the tumour was growing back. 

In the summer of 2017, my mum underwent her 3rd Craniotomy at the LGI, a hospital which was 53 miles from home, meaning once again my Dad, brother and I would make the 106 mile round trip just to visit her for a few hours a day whilst she recovered in hospital. 

Following recovery, regular scans showed the tumour continued to grow so my mum began Chemotherapy treatment, where she suffered a severe reaction to the treatment leading to her being admitted into isolation in St James’ Hospital, Leeds. 

However, the Chemotherapy had knocked my mum for six so surely it could’ve knocked the cancer too and yes it did, for 8 months, until my mum had to begin her second round of radiotherapy, once again making the 102 mile round trip daily with my dad to receive her treatment in Leeds. The treatment finished and my mum was still being her fabulous self, I have never met a stronger, happier, inspiring lady who’s smile could light up the world. 

And yet still cancer still won’t leave her alone, on New Year’s Eve, we received the news she would have to undergo another round of chemotherapy, which was a saddening way to enter a New Year. So, this January my mum began her second round of chemotherapy which we hope will be a success!

Currently Leeds Cancer Centre is raising funds for a Magnetic Resonance Simulator. The MR (Magnetic Resonance) Simulator Appeal is raising funds for a state-of-the-art machine which will transform the way care is delivered to 450 radiotherapy patients per day at the Leeds Cancer Centre and continue to put the Centre at the forefront of cutting-edge technology. Radiotherapy is one of the main treatment methods used to both cure and reduce symptoms from a cancer.An MR Simulator produces high quality scans of the area with cancer present; providing images which enables the doctor to identify and define the areas for treatment with greater clarity than is offered with the conventional CT imaging. This would be a machine that my mum and other cancer sufferers would majorly benefit from and would save many lives.

Your support, no matter how large or small will make a significant impact on the lives of both staff and patients at the Leeds Cancer Centre and help people like my mum survive and live with cancer. I thank you immensely for your support. Unfortunately, most brain tumours are not curable, however are treatable and in the words of my mum : ‘I don’t battle cancer. I LIVE life with it!’