The family of a young woman who lost her life to a brain tumour is joining our Walk of Hope on Saturday to raise funds to help find a cure for the disease.
Evanne Miller-Bettridge was just 24 years old when she died in April 2025. She had been diagnosed with a grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma seven years earlier, after suffering a seizure at home.
Despite the initial success of Evanne’s treatment, which included surgery and combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy, the tumour recurred and Evanne faced ongoing challenges, including focal seizures and peripheral vision loss.
Evanne’s dad, Greg, said: “We couldn't fault Evanne’s oncology team who were incredible but the shocking lack of treatment options in this country is disappointing. There are so few options; after a certain point there's just nothing else available and to watch someone you love be faced with that is crushing. As a family, we find it hard knowing there is such a lack of research into brain tumours because of low Government funding. As a country it's just not good enough. It needs to be better.”
Young Evanne with Greg
Evanne overcame the challenges she faced to achieve a first in her Fine Arts degree at Lancaster University and a Master of Arts at Birmingham City University.
She married her partner, Adam, on 10th March 2025, just six weeks before she died.
Adam said: “It was so special, but it was difficult because Evanne had lost her mobility at this point and was largely wheelchair bound. A week before, she said that she wasn’t going to be wheeled down the aisle, so when she entered the church, she stood up and linked arms with Greg and Vanessa on either side, and she walked down the aisle. Evanne was phenomenal.”
Evanne and Adam at Evanne’s graduation and on their wedding day
This Saturday, Adam, Greg and Evanne’s mum Vanessa will join our flagship Walk of Hope at Chatsworth, stepping out alongside other families affected by the disease to help fund vital research to find new treatments and, ultimately, cures.
“What Evanne went through was devastating but she defied belief. Instead of saying ‘why me?’ it was ‘why not me?’ She had an extraordinary outlook, and that rubbed off on people around her. Brain tumours are the biggest killer of under 40s, so why wouldn't the Government invest more money into researching this disease?” Adam said.
“Brain tumours are difficult to research, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't be awarded the same funding as any other cancer that devastates families just as equally. By doing the Walk of Hope, I want to raise as much money as possible to help fund researchers who are striving to find a cure.”
Online registration for our Walk of Hope at Chatsworth has now closed, but you can still join us. Simply turn up and register on the day. Or why not hold your own walk wherever you are? It can be as simple as deciding a distance, setting up a JustGiving page and ask your family and friends to donate. Every pound raised helps us get closer to a cure. Find out more.
Adam added: “You can never lose sight of hope. We've lost Evanne but she would never want us to lose hope for other people. I just want to make her proud.”
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