After months of unexplained hearing loss and other symptoms, I was diagnosed with a benign brain tumour in 2016 which was removed through major surgery. This left with me with permanent deafness on my left side as well as tinnitus. Acoustic neuroma is a somewhat rare tumour which, as well as single sided deafness, can cause vertigo, facial palsy, migraines, cognitive disorder, dizziness and confusion, anxiety, loss of balance, inability to hear the direction of sounds, sensory overload and memory loss.

Earlier this year through routine MRI scans that I will have for life, the tumour was found to be growing again. I recently underwent Gamma Knife Radiosurgery to hopefully stop any further progression. All of my care, including a surgery for an abutment to hold my BAHA hearing aid, has been done through Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, specifically the Hallamshire.

I have been running for a few years but this will be my first half marathon, the Sheffield Half Marathon in March 2020. It's a challenging one due to our lovely hills!

Your fundraising means so much to Neurocare, NHS staff and the patients whose lives have been improved and saved by the kindness and generosity of people like you. Every penny you raise helps Neurocare fund life-saving equipment, research, patient and family support services, hospital transformations and medical training, all of which enhance the care and treatment of neuroscience patients being treated in Sheffield's NHS hospitals. Thank you for all so much for your support!