A former Speedway star from Yorkshire, paralysed after a crash, is facing his toughest challenge yet – a large brain tumour.
Garry Stead, 52, from Holmfirth, was a celebrated international racer when a devastating crash in 2007 left him paralysed from the waist down. Then, in September of this year, Garry suffered his first seizure – which doctors mislabelled as a stroke. It was only after further symptoms, including epilepsy and partial paralysis of his left arm, that he was diagnosed with a low-grade meningioma the size of an orange.
Garry said: “I’ve faced challenges all my life, on and off the track, but nothing compares to this.
“Knowing it could have been growing for a decade is devastating, and I can’t help but think how life might have been different if it had been caught earlier.”
Garry’s meningioma was successfully removed by surgery, but complications to his health and mobility remain. He said: “The surgery saved my life, but it came with a different set of challenges. I’m still struggling with basic tasks like shaving and putting on a coat because I still don’t have full control or sensation in my right arm yet.
“However, losing my independence by driving has been one of the hardest obstacles. It makes me feel cut off from the world –- like my freedom has been taken away.”
Garry’s partner, Angie Slater, 45, decided to take on our 99 Miles in November challenge to show her love and support for him. Wearing his old racing gear, she said: “Garry has been through so much in his life, yet he still finds ways to stay positive and keep fighting.”
Choosing to run the distance, Garry said that Angie had been his “rock” through his brain tumour journey and that it “means the world to me, not just for the awareness it raises but also for the support she’s shown me.”
You can donate to Angie’s fundraiser, or look into organising your own fundraising event to help brain tumour patients like Garry.
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Published Thursday 12th December 2024.