Lauren Loan
Forever 38
Fundraising for The Brain Tumour Charity
Story
On Friday 2nd October we took my sister Katie to hospital due to memory loss, balance issues and fatigue, never in a million years did we think of a brain tumour. She had scans and we were told there was a mass in her brain, that night she was transferred to the RVI hospital and a couple of days later she had surgery to get a biopsy and a shunt fitted for the build up of fluid. On Monday 19th October she was diagnosed with a very rare malignant incurable brain tumour in the thalamus called a Diffuse Midline Glioma and was given 2-3 years to live. She was supposed to start treatment on 24th November 2020 but 7 further shunt surgeries prevented that. Then on Tuesday 5th January 2021 we got the most devastating news that the cancer had spread to other parts of the brain and there was nothing else the doctors could do. Katie came home on Thursday 7th January and spent 8 days with her family and died on Friday 15th January. Only 3 months after diagnosis.
MORE NEEDS TO BE DONE TO FIGHT THIS AWFUL DISEASE!
The type of tumour she had was very rare and normally found in children. The oncologist at The Freeman hospital only treated 1-2 people a year with this type of brain tumour.
These brain tumour statistics are shocking. We believe that fighting brain tumours on all fronts through research, awareness and support is the only way to save lives, reduce long-term disabilities and help everyone with a brain tumour and their families.
- Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40
- Almost 11,700 people are diagnosed each year with a primary brain tumour, including 500 children and young people – that's 32 people every day
- Over 5,000 people lose their lives to a brain tumour each year
- At least 102,000 children and adults are estimated to be living with a brain tumour in the UK currently
- Brain tumours reduce life expectancy by on average 20 years – the highest of any cancer
- Just 11% of adults survive for five years after diagnosis
- Brain tumours are the largest cause of preventable or treatable blindness in children
- Research offers the only real hope of dramatic improvements in the management and treatment of brain tumours. Over £500m is spent on cancer research in the UK every year, yet less than 3% is spent on brain tumours
I hope one day that no one has to go through the pain my sister went through and no family has to endure the nightmare my family have had to go through and will continue to go through.
Rest peacefully big sisy x