This unique group is dedicated to raising funds for Brain Tumour Research.
Power of David (PoD) has been set up in memory of David Hetherington who lost his battle with a Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) in November 2016 at the tender age of 39.
PoD and it’s associated events are run by an army of volunteer ‘PoDsters’ made up of Davids friends, family, colleagues and even some people who never knew him personally but are touched by his story and the wider cause.
David’s wife Shaz explains what inspired her to set up PoD:
Wherever he went, David carried hope, light and humour with him, leaving a little bit of each with everyone he encountered. His ability to impact others in a positive way and leave a lasting impression was remarkable. This was David’s super power. When his life was cut short by the GBM, I knew something good had to come from our deep loss. I kept thinking ‘the darkest hour is just before the dawn’ and I had to find a way to create hope, I knew the Power of David had to live on.
In the five years that David lived with a brain tumour, I learnt a lot about the disease and the more I learned the more frustrated I became. Before this, I had never really appreciated how underfunded brain tumour research was or the prevalence of brain cancer and I was shocked at the poor prognosis for the vast majority of patients. Here are just a few of the statistics:
* Around 30 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour every day, including children.
* 80% of adult brain tumour patients do not survive beyond 5 years - this statistic has never improved.
* The established treatment options for brain tumours haven’t changed in decades leading us to question why new developments haven’t been made.
* Only 1.37% of national spend on cancer research is allocated to this horrendous disease even though it kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
It became obvious that we needed to harness the Power of David to learn a lot more about GBMs in order to improve clinical outcomes for patients. With the help of fellow PoDsters John Baker and Janice Wright, PoD was born.
PoD aims to raise funds each year through fun, easy activities and events which are accessible to all, bring people together and always raise a smile. PoD activities are about uniting people to make a big impact.
The money raised by PoD will help the Brain Tumour Research charity in its mission to build a network of experts in sustainable research. The charity funds dedicated UK Centres of Excellence - including one at the Queen Mary University in London specialising in studying glioblastoma tumours - where scientists are focused on improving outcomes for patients.
In Davids memory, we aim to bring hope, light and opportunity with each event we run and every day of research we fund, bringing the Power of David to many more people as we work with Brain Tumour Research towards ultimately finding a cure.
Every day is a new dawn.”
You can also donate by text. Simply type POFD99 followed by a space and then the amount you’d like to donate (£1, £2, £3, £5 or £10) to 70070.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.
