Shay's Smiles

1 min read
Raising vital awareness and funds for research as well as providing information and support

In 2004, an informal partnership of a number of UK brain tumour charities came together under the banner of the United Brain Tumour Campaign. These charities worked together raising awareness and to achieve a common goal to raise funds for research into the prevention and treatment of brain tumours, as well as ultimately finding a cure.

Each of the members was galvanised into action as a result of personal involvement with brain tumours, having realised that there is relatively little being done to support brain tumour patients or carers, or towards funding research into finding a cure, compared to other more high-profile cancers.

Today, Brain Tumour Research still supports and is supported by numerous official Member Charities from across the UK that are united with us under our national banner. We embrace these collaborations and welcome any and all new Member Charities.

Our collective voice carries greater weight in media coverage and adds weight to our political campaigning action. Our Member Charities are helping us build a game-changing network of world-class Research Centres of Excellence in the UK.

 

Shay's Smiles

Shay’s Smiles was set up by the family of 13-year-old Shayen Patel (known to all as Shay), who passed away on 1st September 2020. Shay died less than two years after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).

The charity’s mission is to support families of children diagnosed with GBM with the cost of genetic testing, specialist doctors and providing care, as well as funding vital research to help further the desperate need for a cure. It has committed to fund a PhD student over a four-year period at a cost of £143,657, working within the team at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), developing new treatment strategies to inhibit the progression of GBM brain tumours.

Nicola O’Dea-Patel – 07968 791221

Email: support@shayssmiles.org

Read Shay’s story

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