Last week, 25 of our of our impactful fundraisers visited the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), where they heard how the team is working to find a cure for paediatric high-grade gliomas, which have a very poor prognosis.
Supporters see the Wall of Hope
When supporters raise £2,740 or more, they are invited to place a tile on a Wall of Hope which are stationed at each of our Centres of Excellence. This amount represents the cost of a full day of research, and enables us to strive for our goal of funding sustainable research into brain tumours.
Among those supporters who placed tiles was Jessica Ferreira (above), 28, whose grandfather, Jose Antonio Vieira, died of a meningioma in June 2021. A seizure 11 months before had led to his diagnosis and, after a 10-hour long craniotomy, Jose Antonio was unable to speak, move or feed himself. Three weeks after moving to a rehab centre, he died.
Last April, Jessica took on the London Marathon, raising close to £3,000 for Brain Tumour Research and, in 2023, Jessica and her mum, Carla, both ran the Bournemouth Half Marathon. Jessica said: “Grandad was the head of the family, our anchor. He did everything for everyone, and would go to the ends of the earth for any of his four children and 22 grandchildren. Nothing has been the same since. We feel like we’re in limbo.
“It’s some comfort to think that the donations made in Grandad’s memory are helping to make a difference for people diagnosed with brain tumours in the future.”
Other supporters placing tiles included Cain North (above left), 23, who was diagnosed with a glioblastoma after his parents found him walking in circles in their living room. He has since gone on to organise his own Walk of Hope in 2023, which raised £5,000, and a further £6,000 through a bingo event last year.
Eleica Hines (above right), 21, attended with her dad Ronal, after Eleica raised more than £6,000 walking 350 miles from Nottingham to Paris. This was in memory of her friend Erin Kiggins, who passed away from an undiagnosed brain tumour in 2021.
Amelia Keefe Smith (above left) is a Brain Tumour Research volunteer who lost her mother to the disease. Amelia took part in a skydive in 2024 with her dad Mark, raising almost £2,000.
Our Trustee Mel Jarrett (above right), also attended the lab tour, with her son Ben. They took part in a coast-to-coast cycle across England in 2021, raising more than £26,000 in the process.
Understanding the research they help fund
Our incredible supporters listened to Professor Jones (below) as he presented on the research at ICR regarding childhood brain tumours. The team is focused on gene discovery and how this can help identify suitable drugs – leading to future clinical trials for novel treatments.
Prof Jones explained that laboratory science leads to patient benefit, bridging the “valley of death”.
Prof Jones also leads the CONNECT consortium, a worldwide organisation of researchers in Europe, Australia and North America who work together to expediate clinical trials by generating the required data. Later this year, it is hoped a clinical trial will launch for 10 different treatments – including the ACR1 inhibitor, financed by Brain Tumour Research.
He shared the touching journey of Nicole, a young girl from Rome who was diagnosed with a diffuse midline glioma (DMG) as an infant. She was born with a gene mutation and, thanks to the kinds of treatment research Professor Jones and his scientists are undertaking, Nicole is now seven years old. Her story is a reminder that research makes a difference, and we can all work together to make sure that research continues.
Keep sustainable research alive
Published Tuesday 4ᵗʰ March 2025.