A mum is taking on our 200k in May Your Way challenge to help find a cure for brain tumours inspired by her “little whirlwind” toddler.
Nancy Dakin was just 12 months old when she first became unwell with persistent vomiting and tremors in September 2023. Initially doctors believed her symptoms were due to a bout of tonsilitis, but despite receiving multiple courses of antibiotics, her condition deteriorated significantly over the following weeks. An MRI scan finally revealed a large tumour on Nancy’s left frontal lobe.
Describing the moment the family was told about Nancy’s tumour, mum Gemma said: “It was like the ground disappeared beneath us.”
The tumour – which was found to be a high-grade ependymoma – was removed over the course of two surgeries and Nancy began an intensive course of chemotherapy in December 2023.
Gemma said: “The treatment was incredibly hard on Nancy. She was so poorly, constantly sick and exhausted, and she couldn’t even get out to play. She ended up needing a feeding tube because she stopped eating altogether. As parents, all you want to do is take their pain away, but we couldn’t, and that was the hardest part.”
Nancy completed her treatment in January 2025. She continues to attend regular follow-up scans to monitor her condition.
Now, Gemma is raising vital funds and awareness to support research to find new treatments and cures for the disease.
“I’ll be walking, running and indoor cycling to reach the target, and Nancy and her brother Mickey will be joining me whenever they can. It won’t be easy, especially balancing it all while caring for Nancy, but on the tough days, I’ll be thinking about how far she’s come and how research has helped save her life,” she said.
“If sharing our story and doing this challenge helps even one family or contributes in some small way to future breakthroughs, then it will all be worth it.”
There’s still time to join Nancy and hundreds of others who will be clocking up the kilometres this May. Spring into action and sign up for 200k in May Your Way, turning your movement into money to help find a cure for brain tumours.
Related reading:
