18 months ago, my dear friend Georgie was diagnosed with glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive brain tumour that has turned her life upside down.

On 27 April 2025, my family and I will be participating in a 5km walk with Georgie to help raise awareness of this devastating disease and gather much-needed funds for research to prevent early deaths from GBM.

I'm incredibly proud of Georgie and all she is doing to support the brain tumour community, and would love your help in raising as much money as possible for this vital research!

We are grateful for any amount you can spare; every contribution counts!

Thanks

Mel xx

Georgie's story...

It's been over 18 months since I first learnt about the overlooked brain cancer world. In May 2023, I had a seizure and shortly afterwards found out it was a result of having a glioblastoma (GBM), a brain cancer tumour, grade 4, and consequently limited life expectancy. As my dear friend Laura describes it, the GBM is the Great White Shark of cancer.

I've been lucky, I've outlived the average (12-18 months), but what's clear is no one knows why some fall by 6 months and others manage to reach 2 years. No one knows what causes a GBM. And most importantly no one knows how to cure them.

This needs to change, not in 10 years time (how long I'm told some studies will take), but faster. We don't just want an approach that gives us a few more months to live, we want an approach that finds a cure. There's been much success in the melanoma and breast cancer space, we need this in the brain tumour world.

It's why I'm asking for your support, again!

GBMs need more resources, investigators, investment, understanding, we desperately need more funding. We're building up a bigger support base but we need to keep going.

It was great that at an All Party Parliamentary Group I attended, many MPs, led by Siobhain McDonagh, were insisting the NIHR releases more funding. MPs across all parties are supportive and I hope will continue to push this forward. I'm incredibly grateful that my brother, Charlie Maynard, is one of them.

However, across all areas we need to keep this going, raising awareness in our offices, our community, our family and friends so we can make a difference together.

Afterall, GBMs are random - everyone is susceptible, but everyone can help by acting.

It's only a drop in the ocean the money spent investigating in GBMs vs other cancers. And yet GBMs are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40. Why is it remaining left on the shelf? We need to raise awareness, invest in research, and stop sufferers dying quickly and too young.

I've been incredibly lucky having your support over the last year, today I'm asking for it again...

This year we're running the Twilight Walk again, but it's got a name, timing and location change! Bluebells, bring real joy to me and I want so share that with you, so we've decided to organise our own Bluebell Walk, close to where we live in Oxfordshire on the 27th April 2025. The details are to come, but if you can donate please do, and if you want to get more involved and come walk the walk, raise some funds, then do please get in touch!

We are raising funds under the The Maynards Supporter Group. It has been specifically set up to fund research into high grade brain tumours via the Brain Tumour Charity.

To learn more about the story please head here: https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/get-involved/our-supporter-groups/supporter-groups/groups/maynards/