I am running the Manchester Half Marathon on the 15th October. I wanted to do it for a worthy cause and this is certainly one.

Rather than me explaining below are the words of my colleague Maria and the reason I am supporting Brain Tumour Research for this event:

“Hi there, My name is Maria, I am Pedro's wife.I met Pedro in 2013 and we got married in September 2019. We had some amazing years together, we travelled the world and lived many adventures together. We were very happy and always felt truly lucky.Pedro was diagnosed with a brain tumour in March 2020.He underwent brain surgery in the middle of the pandemic in July 2020. He was admitted to hospital on his own, nobody could be with him neither before or after the surgery. He used his questionable sense of humor to face those hard days in hospital and never lost his smile.Surgery went very well, the surgeon achieved a full resection and Pedro recovered very quickly with no neurological deficits.Histology results confirmed a Grade II Diffuse Astrocytoma. As doctors managed to get all the tumour out, Pedro didn't have to have any further treatment but he would have to be monitored for life with MRI's every 6 months.We were told that these type of tumours tend to grow back but it could take many years until it does.We decided to leave that nightmare behind us and carry on with our lives. We continued with our plans. Pedro changed jobs, we bought a house and started trying for a baby. Our first baby boy, Noah, was born in February 2022. It made us feel the luckiest people in the world. We never thought we could feel this happy and grateful ever again after everything that happened.We focussed on enjoying this special time as new parents and appreciating every moment with Noah, however the fear of the tumour returning was inevitably always there, in the back of our minds.In September last year, while we were enjoying a family holiday in France, we received some news. The surgeon wanted to see Pedro face to face to discuss his last MRI's results. The following week, it was confirmed, something had been found in Pedro's last MRI. Pedro had his second brain surgery on 3rd November 2022. Noah was only 9 months old.Surgery went very well, the surgeon, again, managed to fully resect the tumour. Histology results confirmed our worst fear. The tumour had progressed and it was a Astrocytoma Grade IV or Gliobastoma Multiforme (GBM). Pedro recovered very well and unbelievably quick from the surgery. He started 33 sessions of radiotherapy on 13th December followed by 6 months of oral chemotherapy. He finished his treatment last July and his last MRI was clear.He will have MRI's every 3 months for life. Unfortunately there is no cure for brain tumours and the treatment options are very limited. Life expectancy for people diagnosed specifically with this type of tumour is devastatingly poor. Pedro was 33 years old when he was firstly diagnosed with a brain tumour. He is very intelligent, always thinking about new and fun personal projects to entertain his unquiet mind. He is kind, loving and caring, a genuinely good person. The acceptance and the strength that he has shown to navigate this incredibly difficult situation make me admire and love him even more. Brain tumours do not discriminate. It can happen to anyone, causes are currently unknown. Pedro never had any symptoms, the tumor was found accidentally.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!Pedro, Noah and I are fundraising for Brain Tumour Research as they are the only national charity dedicated to funding long-term, sustainable research in the UK. We can't afford the luxury of making plans or thinking about the future. We take every day as it comes and we plan exciting things when we receive good news after each MRI.Our only hope is that the treatment has been effective enough to put the tumour to sleep for as long as possible while a breakthrough takes place.Please help us fund the fight. Please help us to find a cure.”

You can also donate via María’s page here: https://www.justgiving.com/page/pedrosbraintumourstory