Paul Smith
Paul's Snowdon Challenge
Fundraising for Brain Tumour Research
Story
Welcome to my fundraising page in aid of Brain Tumour Research.
Please read my story and plea for your help.
I have decided to take on another challenge as a result of a number of conversations last year with a very special friend of mine.
Despite retiring from physical fundraising 2 years ago, after my channel row, on the 11th September 2021 I will push myself in my wheelchair and crawl on my hands and knees to the summit of Mount Snowdon. I will be supported by a team of 4 fantastic people, Sean Broderick, Karen Morling, Alan Smith and Steve Lee-Robinson, and I hope you will join us in supporting this challenge by donating as much or as little as you. can.
The aim of the challenge:
To raise £5740 for two days of research, one for going up and one for going down - It would be fantastic if we are able to reach £20,000 and raise awareness about brain tumours and the devastating impact they have on people's lives. Also for this we can place a tile on the 'Wall of Hope' - Just a thought.
Facts:
1. Did you know that 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a primary or secondary brain tumour, 2,200 of those are Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM's).
2. Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers.
3. Brain Tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
4. Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. The national Spend on Brain Tumour Research needs to increase to £35m a year.
My plea and short story
Dear friends and loved ones. My birthday is in November, if I were able, I'd be planning a stupid expensive birthday party and you'd all probably be buying me gifts and bottles of wine, a cheaper, more lovely way to celebrate would be to make a donation to this fundraiser, to help Brain Tumour Research find the correct way to treat and cure those who have a brain tumour diagnosis.
So many lives are devastated by brain tumours, families and loved one's lives are left empty when they lose the ones they love to such a horrible disease and at such a young age.
I am Paul, I am a 62-year-old War Veteran, I do not have a brain tumour but I do have a brain injury and several physical injuries, sustained in a RTA when someone was over taking on a blind bend at night and hit me head-on, I was not expected to survive the accident but I did go into lock-in syndrome for 12 years! I live with migraine pressure on my brain and live with pain all over my body from the trauma to my spine, hips, neck, shoulders and other physical injuries 24/7. I deal with Depression and PTSD, also 24 hours a day, sleeping just 2 hours a night, usually 2am-4am, I consider myself very fortunate.
People I have met here in the UK and around the world have become my family and we must take care of our families wherever we find them, or whatever the crisis they are in.
Like most young people, I set out in the world to help myself learn and grow. When I served in the Royal Navy, I visited Italy, while there I learned a word "Tutti" which in Italian means "Everybody". So that's the lesson isn't it, when you set out in the world to help yourself, sometimes you end up helping...Tutti.
Let's be Tutti helping to defeat Brain Tumours! #FindCure #FundTheFight
Thank you.