We have signed up to run the TCS London Marathon on Sunday 27th April 2025 in order to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity. This is a cause which is close to our hearts after our Dad was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May 2021.

The next few years were an extremely difficult time for our family as Dad underwent treatment. This treatment, as well as the care provided by our wonderful Mam, allowed Dad more time than was expected, given the high grade aggressive tumour that he had. In the three years that followed Dad met Craig and Sophia’s expanding family including his two grandchildren, he walked Sarah down the aisle as she married Dougy, spent more time with Eoin and Chloe once they moved to Shetland and continued to travel the world with our Mam as they vacationed in Barbados. We are all so grateful to have these special memories. Alongside these highlights, there were many hurdles. It is truly impossible to explain the affects this disease had on Dad's quality of life.

Dad was such an inspiration to everyone in our family. He taught us to always live life to the full, love fiercely and how to stand up for what is right. He was kind, caring, sensitive, thoughtful and always the centre of all of our family's inside jokes. He loved his family, football, watching anything sport related, going on holidays and travelling the world, discovering new foods, wildlife, snorkelling, red wine and galaxy chocolate.

With Dad’s love of sport, running the marathon in his memory seems very fitting. He was an avid fan of sport from darts to dancing and dedicated a lot of his time to Shetland football by playing for years before refereeing for even longer. The money raised for The Brain Tumour Charity will go towards researching a cure along with supporting the important treatment that helped our Dad to have some special experiences after his diagnosis.

The Brain Tumour charity was a resource we all turned to in order to help understand the condition, treatment and what to expect in the future. Standard treatment for brain tumours has changed little in the last 20 years, meaning that there are very limited options available to patients.

In February 2018, the Government and Cancer Research UK announced that they would spend a total of £45 million, over a five year period, on brain tumour research. In late February 2023, an enquiry found that, nearly five years on from the major research funding announcements on brain tumours there were: “no new treatments and the five-year survival for patients is still just 12%. Brain tumours remain the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under the age of 40. Of the £40 million Government commitment, on 25th January 2023 just £15 million had been awarded since June 2018, with £6 million of this not easily identifiable as relevant to brain tumours”.

It's simply not good enough and more needs to be done.

Brain tumour symptoms include: headaches, changes in vision, seizures, nausea and dizziness, tiredness, loss of taste and smell, cognitivie changes and communication problems.

Anything you can give is hugely appreciated.

Thank you,

Sarah and Eoin