Children’s author Katie Smith appeared on ITV’s Lorraine This Morning to talk about living with brain cancer. Katie, from the West Midlands, first appeared on the show back in 2016 when she was revealed as the winner of Lorraine’s Top Tales for her book The Pumpkin Project. Today, she was back to update Lorraine on her story – since her initial appearance she has undergone further treatment for her oligoastrocytoma brain tumour and, together with husband Luke, has celebrated the birth of baby Eli.
Through their fundraising group Brainstorm, the couple has set out to raise £90,000 for Brain Tumour Research. Their latest initiative is an auction of celebrity hats and Lorraine duly obliged by donating a stunning bright pink cowboy hat – autographed of course – to add to the collection which includes a Peaky Blinders cap from star of the BBC series Cillian Murphy.
Susan Castle-Smith, our Head of PR, who has worked with Katie for three years said: “We are so grateful to Katie for her ongoing commitment to help raise awareness of the issues around brain tumours. Like many patients, she lives with a very uncertain future. Katie has been told she may not live to see her 40th birthday. In the face of this prognosis, she continues to campaign with us to lobby the Government and the larger cancer charities to increase the national investment in research. I admire her strength and resolve and am proud to call her a friend.”
Katie also told Lorraine about the “scanxiety” which many patients experience as they anxiously await appointments for scans; we will be thinking of Katie, Luke and Eli on Monday when Katie has her next scan.
Related reading
If you found this story interesting or helpful, sign up to our weekly e-news and keep up to date with all the latest from Brain Tumour Research