I ran one marathon in 2017 and decided, that was enough. But then something happened in 2019 and inspired me to raise money for the Brain Tumour Charity. 

In May 2019, when I was 33 weeks pregnant, I started having what I would describe as a mild, but very irritating, headache on the right side of my head. I only gave it a 4/10 on the pain scale, so really in the grand scheme of things, not that bad. I think I even told the many GPs I saw, I could live with it as long as it was normal. These headaches continued for 2 weeks, and despite my best efforts to get rid of it, I couldn't make it budge. I was also simultaneously having nosebleeds, , this symptoms is what motivated the third GP I saw in 2 weeks to advise if it happened again to visit A&E. In the end, the nosebleeds were just normal pregnancy symptom. The headaches however, were not. 

The first time I visited A&E, an outpatient MRI was ordered as a precaution, but not much concern. The next day, the vomiting started. But only occurred once in the morning - Note: vomiting and headaches are a common third trimester symptom. However after 2 days of this, I also started getting a bit dizzy, so we went back to A&E. With some insistence, they did an MRI and found a tumour and a cyst the size of an egg pressing on my brain stem. 

I had a brain tumour, albeit relatively small, but the cyst it produced was causing the detrimental symptoms that had the potential to be more life threatening. This was when I was 34+6 days pregnant. Fast forward a few days, I was blue lighted in an ambulance to the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford. I was in the hospital for 13 days. The first 5 days, my symptoms were quickly getting worse, and it is my understanding there was a large team trying to decide the best course of action. Take my baby out first, or the brain tumour. My baby girl (now nearly 4 years old) was taken out at 35+4 days. The following day I had brain surgery. Not exactly your regular post pregnancy experience. 

The surgery was successful and the brain tumour, a rare hemangioblastoma in my cerebellum (that only accounts for 2% of brain tumours) was thankfully low grade and benign. 

I am incredibly lucky for so many things.

1. The fact that I was 35 weeks pregnant and not in the first trimester. These symptoms are very common early on in pregnancy and probably would have taken longer to investigate if i had been at a different stage. 

2. The NHS. Living in the UK and having access to some of the best and free healthcare. I don't know what would have happened if I had lived somewhere else and not had the same access. I don't remember everything about the experience, but I remember the people and being very well looked after in such a scary time. 

4. My family and my husband. Both sets of families came to be with my husband Scott whilst I was in the hospital (from Canada and Scotland). And Scott was so positive throughout. It is not easy being the other person in this situation.  If he was scared or worried, he never let it show, which is what I needed. 

I signed up to run this marathon for the Brain Tumour Charity in 2020 - Unfortunately, for well known reasons (Covid), the marathon didn't go ahead until autumn 2021. At which point I was pregnant again and couldn't run a marathon. So now, 4 years and two babies later, i'm finally running it! I have had such an incredible response to my story and donations - I want to thank everyone so much for their generosity.

If you have donated already, thank you. If you haven't and would like to, please do. Im doing this to try to help the Brain Tumour Charity do what they do best. This money will go to them for their research and development of programmes such as BRIAN, a new app they have to help people living with brain tumours. 

I was asymptomatic prior to this experience, a runner, healthier than most, and no previous or family history of brain tumours. I am the first in my family. It can happen to anyone, and the best thing we can do is be aware of the symptoms, and try to raise money for research, treatment, and care. If you don't donate to this charity, I hope you choose to help out another cause that means something to you, because this one means a lot to me. 

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. Committed to saving and improving lives, were moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour. We're set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change. And were doing it right now. Because we understand that when you, or someone you love, is diagnosed with a brain tumour a cure really can't wait.