In November 2023 I'll fly to Morocco to trek 100km of the Sahara Desert over 5 days in aid of The Brain Tumour Charity.

My personal experience of the effects of brain tumours acts as a humbling reminder of the urgency to find a cure faster and support The Brain Tumour Charity in their life-changing work. After completing a skydive for the charity in November 2018, shaving my head in 2020, and becoming a Young Ambassador for TBTC in 2021, I am excited to undertake my next challenge to raise money for vital funding.

Brain tumours are an indiscriminate illness and are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40. Brain tumours also reduce life expectancy by around 20 years - the highest of any cancer - and only 11% of adults survive for 5 years after first diagnosis. With around 32 people diagnosed every day, it is critical that there is more awareness and funding to help increase early diagnosis; support those living with brain tumours and their families, and to find a cure faster.

My Story:

On the 6th August 2001, when I was 6 months old, my mum, Susan, suffered her first seizure at home and was rushed to the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, where she had a second tonic clonic seizure.

After undergoing many scans, it was discovered that my Mum had an oligodendroglioma tumour. Due to the tumour, it was also unveiled that my mum had epilepsy, which for the early years of my life had a greater impact on our day-to-day living.

In the August of 2002, my Mum underwent her first surgery to remove as great an amount of the brain tumour as possible. Thankfully this was successful at the time.

Unfortunately, in 2009, a routine scan showed unexpected changes which resulted in my Mum undergoing radiotherapy in the first two months of 2010. Myself being 9 years old at the time, I was blissfully unaware of the reality my family was facing, registering that my Mum was losing her hair, but with little understanding of what this meant. Fortunately, the exhausting course of radiotherapy had helped.

However, in February 2016, scans displayed further changes. At this point I was turning 15, and began to process the severity of the illness, as well as how brave a Mum I had. I didn't experience a shock diagnosis, but more of a creeping realisation as I grew older. In the April of that year, my Mum underwent an awake craniotomy. Although every bit as terrifying as it sounds, she remained positive and the surgeons removed as much of the tumour as they could.

The next year, 2017, my Mum endured 4 gruelling rounds of chemotherapy over 9 months. Chemo was extremely draining both physically and mentally, and the doctors decided to decrease the rounds from 6 to 4 as her body had difficulty coping with the harmful side-effects.

At the beginning of 2023 we had the unfortunate news that there was tumour growth. My Mum has just undergone her 3rd craniotomy, only 5 days before I head to Morocco. Although being away from home during my Mum’s recovery will be tough, it only further emphasises the ever changing nature of the disease, and just how vital it is that funding and research progresses.

Today, 22 years later from her first diagnosis, My mum remains an inspiration to myself and all of those around her. She always stays positive and hopeful, even when times can appear the exact opposite. I am grateful that my brother and I have been raised to mirror this outlook, and by living one day at a time, we have been given the most ‘normal’ childhoods despite the circumstances being everything but that.

I hope that by visiting my page you have learned that such a cruel cancer can affect anyone in any walk of life, yet it receives very little funding in proportion to its harm. We believe this needs to change and I hope you can help by sponsoring my page, any donation, big or small will be greatly appreciated.

By donating, your money will go towards not only the essential life saving research to put an end to brain tumours, but helping to support the families who have the illness as a part of their lives.

I will keep this page updated with my fundraising efforts and the training I’ll be undergoing to prepare for the trek!

Thank you,

Madelaine

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. Committed to saving and improving lives, we're moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour. We're set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change. And were doing it right now. Because we understand that when you, or someone you love, is diagnosed with a brain tumour a cure really can't wait