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My name is Sarah and when I was 16 years old, I received the frightening news that I had a brain tumour.
After experiencing regular headaches at the age of 16, I was referred for a routine MRI scan that showed I had an epidermoid brain tumour.
Following many appointments, the neurosurgeons decided that, as my tumour was stable, the risk of surgery would be greater than simply continuing to monitor me.
In 2023, I was experiencing frequent headaches and tinnitus, and I was told that the tumour had grown unexpectedly.
At the same time, I received my place for the 2024 London Marathon – this became a beacon of hope and a welcome distraction. I went on to complete the milestone with my father and running partner, Gary, and we raised £9,000 for Brain Research UK.
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Since running the marathon, I have had two surgeries. The first was in May 2024 - a month after the marathon - and the second in March 2025. Each procedure lasted over nine hours and required 10 days in hospital with a 9-day stint in the Intensive Care Unit.
Now, I am pleased to be in recovery as the doctors successfully removed 60-70% of the tumour, giving me approximately another 10 years of life.
My outlook offers hope – but many others may not be so lucky.
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Despite this, money invested in brain tumour research has been far lower than the amounts invested in other cancers and, as a result, there has not been the same progress in treatment and survival.
At Brain Research UK, the team are trying to change this by inspiring and accelerating progress within brain tumour research, as one of their three research priorities.
The money that my family and I have raised is already helping to fund vital neurological research. There are many examples of amazing projects Brain Research UK is funding, such as the work by Dr Harry Bulstrode, a neurosurgeon in Cambridge, who is investigating new treatments for an aggressive brain tumour called glioblastoma.
I know I will always have a brain tumour, but I hope that others will have a better chance of a cure in the future. This is why it is crucial that this kind of potentially life-saving research receives funding.
Your donation will make a lasting impact and help to fund more urgently-needed neurological research, so that others may be helped in the future.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story. I hope it inspires you to support this wonderful charity by making a donation this summer.
Sarah
On behalf of Brain Research UK
