A young man who had to re-learn how to walk following surgery to remove a brain tumour is nearing the end of an epic challenge to help find a cure for the disease.
Conor Smith has been walking 10km every day in December to raise funds and awareness for Brain Tumour Research. His impressive challenge has seen him cover 270km so far, including a birthday walk on Monday 18th December. He will finish his challenge on New Year’s Eve.
The 27-year-old was left with life-changing injuries following treatment for a grade 2 meningioma in November 2021, after years of crippling eye pain and blurred vision. Shortly before his diagnosis, Conor collapsed at home after losing the feeling down the left-side of his body.
He underwent a four-hour operation to remove the tangerine-sized tumour, followed by six weeks of radiotherapy, which left him using a leg brace to help him re-learn how to walk.
Conor said: “It took me weeks to build up the confidence to walk outside with my brace and eventually, working alongside a physiotherapist, I began to walk unaided.”
Conor decided to turn his ongoing rehab and recovery to raise awareness of the underfunding of research into brain tumours.
He said: “My left foot still sometimes drags along the floor and it takes around two hours for me to cover the 10km distance but I’m out there no matter what the weather brings. I’ve loved it so far and I’ll be seeing the year out and finishing my challenge on New Year’s Eve.
“By sharing my story, I hope that we can increase the funding to research this disease so that patients like me have a better chance of surviving and thriving after diagnosis.”
To donate to Brain Tumour Research via Conor’s fundraising challenge, please visit: https://gofund.me/f960f101
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