Today, we’re delighted to wish our Supporter Ambassador Sam Suriakumar a very happy birthday as he turns 40; a milestone he once thought he might not meet.
Sam, from Worcester Park, was diagnosed with a glioma in 2020 after suffering a seizure on his commute home from work.
“I didn’t think I’d get to see my 40th,” said Sam who is married to Sindhu and dad to Arya, eight, and Avaana, 10.
“When I was first diagnosed, I didn’t even think I’d see the end of the week. Forty was always a big benchmark number because of the poor survival statistics for people with brain tumours.”
To commemorate this, Sam has been working with us to create a moving film, in which he delivers a message of hope for the brain tumour community.
Sam has supported us in multiple fundraising campaigns, including Wear A Hat Day and Walk of Hope, ran the London Marathon on our behalf in 2023, and helped us to deliver an 80,000-strong petition to Downing Street, calling on the Government to increase investment into researching the disease. He joined us as a Supporter Ambassador in 2023 and is the embodiment of the optimism that drives our fight to find a cure and keeps us pushing for a future in which brain tumours no longer devastate lives.
“I want us to keep supporting each other in the brain tumour community and to not lose hope,” said Sam. “It’s not a club you want to be part of but, once you are, we really look after each other with care and kindness. I’m calling on the Government to not forget us, to hear the needs of this community and be active in supporting that.”
Determined to grab life with both hands, Sam will celebrate his birthday tomorrow with a ‘musical icons’ party. In April, just six months after completing chemotherapy, he completed the HYROX indoor fitness competition in Belgium, combining eight kilometres of running and eight functional workout exercises.
“I’m so proud I did it, it was just the challenge I needed to show myself that I could come back and do this and not be defeated by that chemotherapy label,” said Sam.
Happy birthday, Sam – and thank you for your unwavering support.
If you’ve been inspired by Sam and want to join him in bringing hope to the brain tumour community, you can donate to fund vital research here.
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