A woman is preparing to face the heat to help find a cure one year after she underwent surgery to remove a brain tumour.
Sue Hitchmough is one of a group of thrill-seekers taking on a firewalk at The Horton Inn, Wimborne, on Thursday (9th March). She will walk barefoot over wood embers reaching temperatures of up to 800 degrees.
Her challenge is marking one year since she underwent surgery to remove a low-grade acoustic neuroma in February 2022. The tumour was discovered after Sue experienced symptoms including loss of hearing, dizziness and problems swallowing.
Sue’s latest surgery was in January 2023. She now lives with a permanent shunt in her head to drain a build-up of fluid on her brain, caused by her tumour. The life-changing effects of her brain tumour include being completely deaf in one ear, loss of taste on one side and losing the ability to cry from her right eye.
“My life changed as soon as I heard the words brain tumours. I lost my aunt to the disease when I was a young teenager, she was 40. I wondered if it could be hereditary, and if so, were my children at risk. When I asked, the consultant advised they didn’t know what caused them, and it was ‘one of those things’,” said Sue.
“I did my own research into brain tumours and was alarmed with how little is known about this disease. If we are going to move forward and address this for future generations, we need to do it now.”
To support Sue’s fundraising, donate via www.justgiving.com/fundraising/SueHitchmough
Would you like to conquer the coals for Brain Tumour Research? We’ve got firewalks planned across the UK – click here to sign up.