Well, I guess I’m running a marathon.

(And I absolutely have no experience in running nor enjoy it...)

As some of you know, in 2017, my mum was diagnosed with multiple brain tumours and cancer. Over the years, I’ve watched as this disease has slowly taken more and more from her. She’s lost her memory, her ability to do much for herself, and she now suffers from epilepsy. Some days, she has terrifying seizures that land her in the hospital for weeks. Other days, she’s having radiotherapy. She recently broke her back and neck from a fall. I never truly understood how much brain tumours could affect the body—how unpredictable things can be. One day, walking and talking; the next, neither.

My family and I have become full-time carers for my mum. She’s my best friend, the most incredible person I know. Despite everything, she still finds a way to show kindness and strength, always putting others before herself. She makes me laugh even on the hardest days. She is the light in my life, and I want to show her just how much strength she’s given me.

Brain tumours, cysts, and other neurological conditions have hit even closer to home recently with my brother’s diagnosis. That’s why running this marathon for Brain Research means so much to me. Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of under-40s, and one in six people live with a neurological condition. Funding research is vital—it can change lives, giving people more time and a better quality of life.

So, here I am, lacing up my running shoes—for my mum, for my brother, and for everyone else affected.

About Brain Research UK:

Brain Research UK is the UK's leading national funder dedicated to research into neurological conditions. We fund vital research to increase understanding, improve diagnosis and treatment, and work towards the prevention of neurological conditions, to help people who suffer with them live better, longer. Our funding is currently focused on three priority research areas: Brain tumours, Brain and spinal cord injury, and Headache and facial pain. These are areas where there is a large unmet patient need that is not reflected in current funding levels. By concentrating our efforts on these three areas, we can have a more significant impact.