I am running the Norfolk Marathon on 28th April 2024, in memory of my daughter Ellie Watts.

Ellie sadly passed away on 8th October 2023, this was due to hydrocephalus secondary to a brain tumour.

In August 2022 when Ellie was 18 years old, she was diagnosed with a brain tumour in her cerebellum, this diagnosis followed investigations for symptoms of dizziness, nausea, vomiting and headaches, which Ellie had experienced for approximately 12 months before her diagnosis.

Ellie underwent brain surgery a few days after her diagnosis and the majority of the tumour was removed but a residual piece remained in her brain stem. The tumour was low grade and Ellie continued to have MRI scans to monitor the residual piece of tumour, initially 3 monthly and then 6 monthly.

Ellie was both courageous and determined and she recovered quickly from her surgery and returned to normal life. She was doing very well at university, working part-time, exercising and socialising, she was living life to the full.

Ellie started to develop some short sharp headaches at the beginning of October 2023, we attended A&E but unfortunately Ellie’s condition deteriorated rapidly, she went into cardiac arrest on 5th October due to severe Hydrocephalus. Despite surgery to relieve the swelling of her brain, the damage caused by the hydrocephalus and cardiac arrest was catastrophic and Ellie could not survive.

I hope by sharing Ellie’s story and raising money for the brain tumour research charity other lives can be saved.