Joanna was the most remarkable wife, sister, daughter, aunt, friend and colleague to so many around the globe. She died on March 28th 2024 and the huge congregation at her funeral was a visceral display of that collective love.

She was also the most extraordinary cancer patient - surprising none of us with her fierce determination, relentless fighting spirit and over achievement against all odds. Unbeknownst to most, she carried survivor guilt. The journey that we went on together required such a complex set of variables to be true, and huge resources, that it is almost impossible for others to follow in our footsteps.

We jointly resolved to lower this bar by spreading our knowledge, sharing our experience and removing barriers to accessing the best advice, treatments and novel therapies. Joanna did not want to be defined by her cancer during her life, so we rarely spoke in public although we did provide 1-to-1 advice to some newly diagnosed patients along the way. I know that her legacy is for me to continue this work. It will never be done. We will build an army and never stop marching forward - no retreat, no surrender.

Joanna achieved a couple of solid wins during her lifetime, including the gestation of the ACT for Cancer InfoHub and inspiring the installation of the UK’s first Modulated Electro Hyperthermia machine at the London Immunotherapy Centre.

Over the years, we made frequent trips to the IOZK Clinic in Cologne, Germany for this particular treatment. Suffice to say that, when we first met the UK’s top Neuro-oncologist Dr. Paul Mulholland in 2015 he had minimal exposure to novel immunotherapy treatments, but supported our experimentation in Cologne alongside receiving the NHS standard-of-care protocol. Ten years later he had put his own capital and reputation on the line to open this first-of-a-kind treatment centre in the UK. I still tease him that the facility should have a sign reading ‘The Joanna Brace Suite’ over the door!

I only once agreed to be interviewed about our story by my friend and a fellow cancer patient Peter Cowley. Alas within 18 short months of posting this video both Joanna and Peter had died. We don’t claim to know how to cure cancer. But we do know so many who outperform, both in terms of survivorship and quality of life, that we are determined to give more patients more choices - before it is too late. You can watch my interview here.

We need to raise at least £100,000 each year to properly fund ACT for Cancer. I am a trustee of this UK registered charity, along with our founders Dr. Jack Kreindler and Marje Isabelle and two other independent trustees with their own reasons for wanting to help to fight this wicked disease. In February 2025 I pledged to donate at least £10,000 to our launch budget.

In addition to our main fundraising efforts, we have established this Legacy Fund—a restricted pot within ACT for Cancer, governed by the trustees and managed by me. For the foreseeable future, our objectives and infrastructure are shared with ACT, but over time, JoJo’s fund may also want to support initiatives beyond ACT’s core mission—such as improving access to world-class palliative care; which is currently a postcode lottery. By good fortune we benefitted greatly from expert end-of-life care…fulfilling Joanna’s final wish of dying peacefully at home with me by her side.

For donors with a personal connection to Joanna, this fund offers a way to honour her memory while contributing to the broader mission of ACT. In the first year, the difference between ACT’s main fund and JoJo’s Legacy Fund is largely semantic, as all donations will go toward establishing the shared infrastructure.

Personally, my goal is to donate a further £1 million to JoJo’s Legacy Fund by 2030 by channeling proceeds from my future investment returns - hence why I’ve set the fundraising goal on this JustGiving page to that huge target. Please be assured that, like with any charity, every penny really does count and all donations are most gratefully received. I cannot guarantee the size of my lifetime contribution, but it will be steadfast. If you’re a UK taxpayer, your donation qualifies for Gift Aid, and we can now receive grants—so if you know of any awarding bodies, please let us know (info@actforcancer.org.uk)

By promoting Patient Advocacy, Right-to-Try, Personalised Medicine, and adaptable multimodal therapies, we can help to turn the tide against this wicked disease.

I love you for taking the time to read this page, helping to spread the word and for every penny / euro / cent donated.

Martin x