Thank you for visiting our fundraising page. We are raising money to support research into the causes and treatment of brain tumours.
Graeme was 26 when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour in January 2005. The first sign of any problems was a headache that had not subsided after fours days and obvious severe weakness in his left side that caused him to stumble. Graeme had a Grade 4 Glioblastoma Multiforme tumour, one of the most malignant types of brain tumour with those affected having an average life expectancy of about 12 months. Against all the odds, after surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Graeme went back to work part-time in December 2005, which is unheard of for someone with Graeme’s condition. He gradually built up to full time but, after the tumour stopped responding to any treatment, his condition deteriorated and he had to stop work in July 2006. Graeme remained positive and an inspiration to everyone right until the very end. He died peacefully and painlessly at home on the morning of 27th October 2006 aged 28, as we held him and talked to him as he gradually slipped away.
We had enormous support from various medical teams and, above all, friends. Without them, Graeme would not have spent his last few weeks comfortably at home, for which we are immensely grateful.
Graeme’s friends and family have been known as Team Graeme since the diagnosis of the tumour. Team Graeme is now raising money in Graeme’s memory to fund much-needed research into brain tumours and is doing this through the Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Trust (SDBTT). We have a web site, which includes news, more about Graeme and a message board at www.teamgraeme.org.uk . Please pay the site a visit to see what we have done so far, what we have planned and join in our message board.
Paris Marathon
Becky Walker, one of Rachel's friends from university entered the Paris Marathon on Sunday 5th April 2009. Becky had not run a marathon before although used to be a star oarswomen at university and so presumably did lots of running for that. Rachel went along to support Becky who completed the course and raised over £1000 for our fund. Well done and thank you Becky.
Kilimanjaro Trek
On 4th October 2008 ten of Graeme's family and friends set off on a memorial trek to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. The objective was to take some of Graeme’s ashes to scatter on the mountain to commemorate Graeme's own fund raising trek to Kilimanjaro for Scope in June 2004. The photo of Graeme on this page and on our literature and web site was taken on his trip. On Friday 10th October between 7.30 and 8.00 a.m. local time nine of us reached the summit where we left some of Graeme's ashes. Later that day we held a little ceremony in memory of Graeme and scattered more ashes at Horombo Camp. The trip was a wonderful experience but very physically and emotionally demanding. Graeme did not make it to the summit of Kilimanjaro but we have now made sure that some of him at least looks down from the Roof of Africa. We followed the Rongai Route to the summit and this eventually joins with the Marangu route that Graeme himself followed. The trekkers covered the costs of the trip themselves so that the £3,500 in donations that we received will go the charity to support research into brain tumours. We also received generous donations of some items of equipment for the team. A full report of the trek plus lots of photographs and links to videos are on our web site.
Those who went on the trip are listed below
Graeme's sister Rachel and father Keith plus five other trekkers from the UK
Matthew Morgan
Rebecca Swaine
Joanne Moody
Gillian Batty
Sara Knox
Plus Simon Buckley who works in Norway and was at university in Newcastle with Graeme, and whom we met at Amsterdam airport.
And two other friends of Graeme from university, Jake Hannah and John Kennedy who now work in Perth in Australia whom we met up with at Kilimanjaro airport.
Full details of all of our news and past events can be found on our web site at www.teamgraeme.org.uk .
Thank you for visiting this site and for your generous donations and messages of support.
Keith, Anne and Rachel
(Dad, Mam and Little Sis)
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