Our Story

As many of you know, Ava lost her Dad earlier this year. Owen was diagnosed in January 2024 with a Grade 4 Glioblastoma. This is the most aggressive and common type of cancerous brain tumour. It has a very poor prognosis and sadly most people live only 12-18 months from diagnosis.

Our lives changed forever overnight. Owen went from being the fittest person any of us knew to being faced with this terrible diagnosis. Just weeks prior he had run an ultra marathon, he was planning his next challenges and had his whole life ahead of him.

Soon after diagnosis he become very ill and was placed in an induced coma, from there he underwent brain surgery to remove as much of the tumour as was safely possible. Due to his prior fitness, he sailed through surgery. He was up walking, talking and of course eating the next day and came home just four days later! That pure determination that I’d seen when tackling the ultra marathons really came to the fore. His motto, I might have cancer but cancer doesn’t have me.

He had nine rounds of chemo, remaining well throughout and started to exercise and run again. He focused on his diet, explored alternative therapies and did everything he could to fight the disease. Despite the devastating prognosis, Owen remained positive throughout. He was an absolute force of nature. He kept our home life the same happy, safe place it always was for his girls. He never complained, he just dug in and fought everyday to stay with us. He was determined to return to work, and in September he did just that - an incredibly proud moment for us all. We felt like we were getting our lives back and that if anyone could beat the horrific statistics, it would be Owen. We always had hope that the outcome for us would be different, because this was Owen and as everyone kept saying ..the fittest person they knew.

Heartbreakingly though, Owen became ill again after Christmas and despite his incredible fight passed away on 2/1/25. He lived only 51 weeks from diagnosis. The brutal reality of this terrible disease is that despite everyone’s efforts, our options were always very limited. Treatment for brain tumours hasn’t changed or advanced for 40 years!! Since records began just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours. This is despite them killing more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer. We can’t allow brain tumours to continue to be overlooked and underfunded. This is why the Brain Tumour Charity means so much to our family. Only with research and medical advancements can other families be spared the heartbreaking loss we’ve suffered. A cure can’t wait!

Losing Owen has had a devastating impact, no more so than on Ava & Freya who at just 12 and 8 lost the best Dad in the world. He will always be our hero, our inspiration to do better and we carry him with us in everything we do.

Ava always enjoyed running with her Dad and since he died she’s carried this on. She’s a natural, just as he was. This is why she decided to run the Junior Great North Run, following in his footsteps and raising life saving funds for the Brain Tumour Charity. She’s running with three of her best friends, Isla, Isabelle and Lucy - absolutely amazing girls who’ve been there since day one, showing a maturity beyond their years in their support for her. Doing this in memory of her Dad alongside her closest friends means the world to Ava. I know Owen will be with her every step of the way, as he is in everything she does.

Every single donation, no matter how big or small will make a real difference. Please sponsor the girls and help them reach their fundraising target of £2000. A cure really can’t wait. Thank you for your support ❤️

About the charity

The Brain Tumour Charity is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally. Committed to saving and improving lives, we're moving further, faster to help every single person affected by a brain tumour.

We're set on finding new treatments, offering the highest level of support and driving urgent change. And we're doing it right now. Because we understand that when you, or someone you love, is diagnosed with a brain tumour a cure really can't wait.