In March 2027 I will be setting off with my snowshoes in the snow covered peaks of the French Alps, trekking from refuge to refuge to continue fundraising and raising awareness for Brain Tumour Research in memory of my husband Craig.

I will trek for about 7 hours a day across snow covered terrain, with daily ascents of up to 500m reaching altitudes of 2,200m.

Temperatures can range from -10°C to 5°C.

Being in the Alps will bring back special memories of our home, where we lived, started our family and where we lost Craig and would have been something he would have loved to have done.

Craig was just 33 years old with two young children Holly and Alex, when diagnosed with an Oligodendroglioma. Until that point life was beautiful, living in France and enjoying the joys of a young family. We travelled, enjoyed good food and the mountains where we lived. Overnight life was turned on its head.

The next two years were a blur of scans, hospital appointments, chemotherapy, radiotherapy, stays in Intensive Care, complications, a full body plaster cast shaped like a teapot (a story for another time!), family rooms and hospital food!! There were tears, laughter and love throughout.

Two years after Craig's diagnosis he lost his hard fought battle at the age of 35. Our hearts were broken.

It is hard to believe that more than 20 years on research funding is still so low.

One in three people in the UK knows someone affected by a brain tumour. This disease is indiscriminate; it can affect anyone at any age. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002. This has to change !!

I hope to raise as much as I can to celebrate my love for Craig and help prevent other people going through what Craig faced and families feeling the pain we have.

Why Brain Tumour Research? Brain Tumour Research are the only national charity dedicated to funding long-term, sustainable research in the UK. Please support us and help us fund the fight, its about time a cure was found.

Help fund the fight. Together we will find a cure.

Lots of love

Joanne. xx