Beth Davies, 31, from Staffordshire, is joining our Walk of Hope at Chatsworth with her mum Lisa. She shares how their lives have changed since Lisa's glioblastoma diagnosis and their motivation for raising funds and awareness.
Mum and I have always been really close; getting our hair and nails done and going on spa days together. Before her diagnosis we used to go to Clubbercise events and enjoyed dancing to 90's dance music. Mum worked in mental health services, as a cognitive behavioural therapist and had a specialised role as a lead for dementia and Alzheimer's patients.
It was during the week of my wedding in July 2021, when we noticed Mum’s first symptoms. One of her eyes was closing and she lost mobility on one side of her face. Dad and I assumed it was wedding stress and didn't think it could be anything serious. She was diagnosed with myasthenia gravis, a rare condition that causes muscle weakness and often affects eye and eyelids. Then came a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, which felt like a complete shock as she was healthy and had not been to a GP in 30 years before this.
In January 2022 she was diagnosed with lung cancer, it was caused by hormones and she needed surgery to remove part of her lung. She recovered well and seemed back to her usual self within days.
Then a few months later while we were at a relaxed family festival, Mum suddenly felt weak and experienced severe headaches. She took paracetamol and Dad arranged an emergency hospital appointment, assuming she'd had a stroke. Doctors did a scan and explained they'd found a glioblastoma; an aggressive brain tumour.
Mum was with her friends when she was told about the tumour and when she later shared this news with Dad, he didn't believe it and decided to speak with the medical staff to get clarity. It was too much to take in and we needed time to accept this shocking diagnosis. So much had happened over just a few months, it felt like a nightmare.
Mum had surgery a week after her brain tumour diagnosis, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy. Despite her treatment, she felt on top of the world. When she went on to have chemotherapy for a year, she still seemed fine. We were still enjoying fitness classes and spa days together and were optimistic about her condition.
Beth and Lisa's Walk of Hope event in 2022
Everything changed in 2024. Mum was told her tumour had progressed and had spread too far into her brain so it couldn't be operated on. She's had three rounds of chemotherapy and but her health is not improving. She struggles with mobility and needs a wheelchair scooter. She's fallen a few times and we've ended up in A&E. Dad has to help her get into the shower and has to come home from work to feed her as she's unable to eat on her own. She's also depressed, so much has been taken away from her, she's gone from being independent to having to rely to others for the simplest of things. It's difficult to see her deteriorate so quickly. I'm struggling to talk to her like how we used to chat, her words are muddled and stories are jumbled up. She's not herself and this is hard to see.
Not long after mum got diagnosed with glioblastoma, an advert about Walk of Hope popped up on my Facebook page. It seemed like a meaningful event to raise money for something so important. We've been taking part since September 2022, doing a mix of our own walks and attending the Brain Tumour Research-organised event at Chatsworth. We gathered 30 people to walk around Knypersley reservoir which was a fantastic day out, then for our second year we went along Froghall Canal which was very wet but scenic. We’ve had a wonderful time at Chatsworth in the past and we’re looking forward to spending the day there again. This is our fifth year taking part, it will be a family day out with Mum and Dad, my husband and our daughters Aria and Isabelle. This time Mum will be in a wheelchair which is heartbreaking, but we are looking forward to the music, the welcoming atmosphere and seeing so many people coming together to support those impacted by brain tumours. Knowing that funds we raise will go towards the Charity’s work to find a cure, gives us some hope.
Every year, around 3,200 people in the UK are diagnosed with a glioblastoma. There is no cure for this aggressive type of brain tumour and treatments have not improved in more than 20 years.
By joining our Walk of Hope you can help fuel progress towards new treatments and, ultimately, cures for all types of brain tumours, and give hope to Lisa and all those affected. Register today.
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