I will be running the London Marathon this April for Brain Tumour Research, in memory of my father, Derek "Delboy" Firmin, who passed away in May 2015. Dad died of a brain tumour, after a valiant fight (in typical stoic fashion). What you may not know, is that his life was extended many months, over a year longer than the best case scenario in fact, due to the use of some pioneering drug treatments (nivolumab) and some expert surgery at the NHNN hospital, which enabled him to see the birth of my son Bobby and spend some precious final moments with his large family. Dad was a hugely inspirational, humble, gregarious, kind, clever, energetic (get the message, he was a lovely chap) bloke, loved by all. The fact he already had Parkinson's didn't seem to quell his desire to help others, usually by his exceptional DIY feats, which he continued to do right up until a couple of weeks before the tumour took its toll. Brain Tumour Research is therefore a charity that, aside from being a fantastic worthwhile cause to run and raise money for, means a lot to me. If you are able to contribute even a few pounds, this will be greatly appreciated by the charity, who can continue to find new ways of helping those with a tumour to live with it, and to help find new ways of hopefully preventing brain tumours from leaving families without their loved ones.

A bit more info on Brain Tumours

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer… yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. This is unacceptable!I am fundraising for Brain Tumour Research as they are the only national charity dedicated to funding long-term, sustainable research in the UK. Please help me fund the fight. Together we will find a cure.