Last night, we were joined by supporters, scientists, celebrities and MPs for a virtual Westminster event to mark Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
Opening the event our Chief Executive, Sue Farrington Smith MBE, highlighted the urgent need for more to be done. She said: “We believe it is time for the Government to create a legacy for the brain tumour community and make the UK a world leader in finding curative therapies for brain tumours. And that is what we will continue to campaign for on behalf of the more than 100,000 people that have signed our petition, the thousands of families that are living with the devastation and those that are yet to hear the devastating diagnosis.”
TV presenter Sarah Beeny, who lost her mum to a brain tumour at the age of 10 only to lose her stepmother to the disease 30 year later, spoke movingly about the importance of raising awareness and her optimism for the future.
Sarah said: “We need to start with awareness, we need to open up the funding lines and we need to encourage the young. We need to think differently.
“I believe this is our time. I believe the future is bright and I believe this is an opportunity. Tough times are the compost for success as long as the right gardener cuts back the dead wood and allows the new shoots to flourish.”
We also heard from Nicki Hopkins, who spoke emotively about her husband David’s brain tumour diagnosis and the difficulties in accessing costly treatment abroad; Derek Thomas MP, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours (APPGBT); Professor Garth Cruickshank, Chair of our Scientific and Medical Advisory Board; Professor Silvia Marino, Principal Investigator at our Queen Mary University of London Centre of Excellence; and Professor Oliver Hanemann, who leads the team at the University of Plymouth.
Our thanks go to everyone who attended this event and to all those who contributed to what was an incredibly inspiring evening.
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