A footie fan is marking the fourth anniversary of his brain surgery with a Walk of Hope from his local club to the professional club he has supported all his life.
Postman Matt Shanley is planning to walk 47 miles from Cranfield United Football Club to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium alongside his wife Julie. They are hoping to cover the distance over two days starting on Tuesday 6th September.
They are organising their own Walk of Hope as part of Brain Tumour Research’s annual campaign, which coincides with the fourth anniversary of the surgery Matt had to remove a rare subependymoma in 2018.
It’s not the first time the couple have joined our Walk of Hope. Two years ago, they walked 10 miles and raised almost £3,000, and in 2021, Julie’s mum and her partner took part on their behalf.
Julie said: “Raising money for Brain Tumour Research is important to us because of everything Matt’s been through. We know how serious the effects of this type of surgery can be and can’t understand what little research funding it gets – it seems so unfair.
“Raising awareness of brain tumours is also important to us, especially among medical professionals, because Matt was treated for vertigo for seven years before he was diagnosed but we now think he was having mild seizures.”
To support Matt and Julie’s fundraising, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/julie-shanley3
Walk of Hope is a national fundraising event that runs every September, with official Brain Tumour Research-hosted walks dotted across the entire UK. If there isn’t one near you, why not organise one of your own? Find out more and register online by clicking here
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