On a seemingly normal January afternoon in 2020 I went to my opticians for a sight test. Feeling pressure on my eyes and getting headaches, I figured my prescription had changed…that and too much Excel in my life.

But my prescription had not changed. Instead my disc margins had come back blurred. Paired with eye strain, migraines, fatigue and balance problems my optician was concerned this was from elevated pressure on my optic nerve from a tumour. She wrote to my GP asking for further assessment urgently.

This is how I found myself exactly one week later in the waiting room of my local hospital about to meet a brain cancer specialist. I was 27 years old.

What followed were months of appointments, MRI scans and additional ophthalmological assessments to rule out pathology. Overwhelmed, I withdrew socially. Became numb.

I continued going to work wondering if what I was doing really mattered. I continued studying for my exams in neuroscience & psychology wondering if I would live long enough to finish the degree. I decided to volunteer in the hospital’s neuro-rehabilitation ward – it was certainly one way of looking fear in the face. Life continued.

And it was in this twilight period that the foundations of First Point Partners were forged. So much of our work life focuses on efficiency, KPI’s and results... we wear suits like armour aspiring to robotic perfection at the expense of revealing our often imperfect and (sometimes malfunctioning) human side. You never really know what's happening behind closed doors. 

Thankfully on the 24th June, after three hours at Western Eye Hospital, I was given the all clear. I was very lucky. Many are far less fortunate.

Although the numbness has lifted, the experience stays with me. It has made me more open, more forgiving and more accepting of life's curveballs. This is why in November 2022 I will be running a half marathon to fundraise for Brain Research UK.

At present, research into brain tumours is underfunded in comparison to other cancers (only 1% of national spend is dedicated to this cancer). But it should not be this way because:

•More under 40’s are killed by brain tumours than ANY other cancer

• 1 in 6 of us have a neurological condition (Alzheimer’s, motor neuron disease, tumours, epilepsy, Parkinson’s…etc).

So please, come and support me by donating to this incredible organisation.

I am not the sportiest person out there but I am really, really determined to make it to the finish line.

And of course a massive THANK YOU to everyone who joins me in training, imparts advice and donates. I already look forward to celebrating together with you all at the end!