The family of Stephen Realf, a young RAF pilot, is reigniting the fight for a cure with a £10,000 fundraising challenge to mark the 10th anniversary of his death.
Maria Realf, 44, said there is “no time to waste” for the brain tumour community a decade after her "courageous" brother Stephen Realf, an RAF pilot from Rugby, died of an astrocytoma. He was 26.
Stephen was diagnosed during his RAF flight training at 19, and underwent surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. He had a tumour the size of an orange removed while awake – to avoid damaging the areas of his brain controlling speech, vision, and movement. But the tumour was too aggressive and Stephen died in August 2014.
The Realf family began campaigning with us following Stephen's death. In 2015, they started a petition which gathered 120,000 signatures and prompted a debate in Parliament. This action led to £40 million being allocated for research into brain tumours in 2018 – of which only £11 million has been released so far.
Now, Stephen’s friends and family will take on 10 activities over the course of a year to honour his memory and raise awareness of Brain Tumour Research. Maria kicked things off last month by scaling the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium roof in London, reaching 47 metres above the ground – before abseiling all the way back down.
She said: “Stephen loved anything high, fast, and a little scary, and was also a huge Spurs fan. Facing my fears and incorporating a passion of Stephen’s felt apt. It helped me feel connected to him, and will hopefully set the tone for the other challenges ahead.”
Their fundraising activities will include flying across England’s longest zipline and an ambitious hiking challenge. Maria’s seven-year-old son Zac is visiting the ground of every current Premier League football team with a personalised golden football, made in tribute of the uncle he never met.
Maria said: “We are coming back louder, with more determination, to see progress for brain tumour patients. They don’t have time to wait – they need action now.”
You can help the family reach their “£10,000 for 10 years” goal and donate to us through the Realf family’s JustGiving page.
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Published Friday 18th October 2024.