A Sussex woman whose husband has been diagnosed with a terminal glioblastoma is close to completing her 200K in May Your Way challenge, to raise funds to help find a cure for the disease.
Sue Bassett, 50, is inspired by her husband Jason, 52, who was diagnosed in November last year. His brain tumour symptoms had at first been mistaken for jet lag, but Jason’s GP referred him for an MRI – which revealed the incurable growth in his brain.
Having already undergone a 10-hour debulking operation and radiotherapy, he is now facing gruelling chemotherapy. Sue said: “Jason is a loving husband and incredibly selfless. We used to share the responsibilities for all aspects of family life, which is why we have all felt the impact of his diagnosis. He can’t be left alone. He forgets things like turning off the tap or leaving the light on.”
At the start of this month, Sue took on our fundraiser – which invites participants to walk, jog, run, cycle, swim or mix it up in order to reach their goal – and has been walking her way to the 200 kilometre target throughout May. Family members (above) also walked in Kent and Chester to help Sue complete her total and raise vital funds for research into brain tumours.
She concluded: “I had some understanding of brain tumours, but I didn’t realise there are more than 100 different types, which makes them difficult to find effective treatments for.
“You hear about treatments available at a cost overseas, but the UK standard of care for brain tumour patients has remained the same for decades. Consultants can only give you so much information because not enough is known about the disease, which comes down to the lack of money.”
It's not too late to donate to Brain Tumour Research through Sue’s JustGiving page and help improve our understanding of this devastating disease.
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