March was Brain Tumour Awareness Month and the team pulled out all the stops to make it bigger and better than ever.
The month ended on a high, with our flagship fundraiser Wear a Hat Day.
Siva Kaneswaran (pictured right), from The Wanted and Dancing on Ice
Not only did celebrities like Siva Kaneswaran, from The Wanted and Dancing on Ice, don a hat in support of us, but the campaign featured heavily in the national press too.
Clair Cordiner’s story about three generations of her family having a GBM in The Daily Mail
One woman who lent her support to the cause was Claire Cordiner, for truly shocking reasons.
Three generations of her family were all diagnosed with glioblastomas (GBM). She spoke movingly about losing her mum and sister to a GBM, only to now watch her 18-year-old nephew receive palliative care for the same tumour.
We are so grateful to Claire for sharing her story with us. It appeared in more than 270 media outlets, including The Daily Mail, The Independent, and The Sun.
Jamie Connolly experienced a huge growth spurt as a teenager in The Mirror
We also had an unusual story of a man who, after brain surgery as a teenager, shot up by 18 inches in a matter of months.
Jamie Connolly was always small for his age, but soon caught up with his peers after his treatments. His story appeared in several national publications, including The Mirror and The Star.
This month was filled with so many fantastic achievements, including launching our Rose For Hope, and seeing 50 buildings and landmarks lit up in Brain Tumour Research colours across the UK.
Inquiry report story in The Express
The level of national press achieved across the entire month was another huge highlight.
During Brain Tumour Awareness month we welcomed the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Brain Tumours’ (APPGBT) landmark report calling for urgent action to help those affected by the devastating disease.
The Express, The Guardian, and Sky News were among national media which ran with the story. Sky came to our office in Milton Keynes to film for a Saturday morning piece.
Spokesman Hugh Adams on Sky News
One of the faces around the messaging of this report was Orla Tuckwell. She was just 20 months old when she was diagnosed with a medulloblastoma in September 2022.
Biopsy results revealed it had an incredibly rare mutation and the family is fundraising for the possible need for further treatment privately or abroad.
Their story was in the Independent, as well as The Sun and The Metro.
Orla’s family are forced to fundraise to help their daughter, in the Independent
March also saw a funding debate in Westminster, and we announced our new Centre of Excellence at the Institute of Cancer Research in London.
This, again, ran in The Express print edition, as well as online, featuring reaction from the parents of Amani Liaquat, a year on from her death.
The launch of the new centre features in The Express print edition
Our celebrity supporter Sarah Beeny, who lost her mum to a brain tumour, made headlines when she joined in the #ShineALight campaign, including in the Daily Mail.
The event, which saw people lighting candles in memory of loved ones who have died, or in support of those affected by this devastating disease, marked the start of Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
Sarah Beeny’s #ShineALight social posts were picked up by The Daily Mail
Joining her was Kelsey Parker who used the event, as well as Wear A Hat Day, to mark the first anniversary of her husband Tom Parker’s death. The Wanted star died from a glioblastoma (GBM), and the story was picked up by OK! Magazine.
Kelsey in OK! Magazine
We’re already looking forward to sharing our April highlights with you. The month is off to a great start with the London Marathon on Sunday 23rd April.
We also have the Jog 26.2 Miles In May challenge coming up, as well as firewalks and the Spinnaker Tower Abseil which you can get involved in. To find our more, or sign up for one of our many events click here.
We are grateful to all the supporters who work with Brain Tumour Research to help raise awareness of this devastating disease. If you would like to share your story, please contact our dedicated PR team to see how we may be able to help: media@braintumourresearch.org
Related reading:
- Three generations of family diagnosed with same brain tumour
- Man grows by more than a foot after doctors operate to remove brain tumour
- British toddler suffering from ‘only case of cancer of its kind in Europe’
- Shocking 160,000 cancer patients suffer delays to vital treatment, figures show
- New hope of cure for brain cancer patients as UK centre receives £2.5million boost
- Sarah Beeny lights a candle in honour of brain tumour research
- Kelsey Parker leaves fans 'in tears' as she lights candle for late husband Tom