We are deeply saddened to hear that our supporter, Ben Lindon, has died at the age of 46.
Ben, a former journalist and retained fire fighter for Warwickshire Fire and Rescue Service, was diagnosed with an aggressive oligodendroglioma in 2008, a week before his 29th birthday.
Ben’s tumour was too risky to surgically remove. Instead, he underwent 120 cycles of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, thought to be the most chemotherapy given to any patient in the UK.
“Ben made a powerful and immediate decision to fight not just for his own health, but for the wider cause of Brain Tumour Research,” said Ben’s former wife, Kate, with whom Ben had two children, Martha, 13, and Sid, 10. “Instead of allowing the diagnosis to define or defeat him, Ben chose to lead a healthier life, physically and mentally, and to focus on others who were also suffering.”
He committed to a series of increasingly demanding challenges to raise awareness and funds for Brain Tumour Research, from the Three Peaks Challenge and the London Marathon to a 1,000-mile bike ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End.
In 2017, during Ben’s 100th round of chemotherapy, he kayaked 100 miles along the River Wye, surrounded by mementos from his children.
As well as a tireless fundraiser, Ben was also a passionate advocate, using each challenge as a platform to make a powerful public plea for more funding and better outcomes for brain tumour patients. He helped present a landmark report to Parliament on the cost of brain tumours, both personal and financial.
His story is one of turning adversity into activism, using every step, stroke and summit to shine a light on a cause that was close to his heart.
“Ben fought a brave battle, raising more than £10,000 for Brain Tumour Research,” said Kate. “He wanted others to have a fighting chance, and he knew that fundraising was his way of trying to ensure that other families don’t have to experience what he went through.”
Kate has vowed to continue this legacy and is working with us to raise awareness of the disease that has left her son and daughter without a father. You can follow in Ben and Kate’s footsteps and support our work by making your own donation.
