A trio of brain tumour patients headed to Queens Park Rangers Football Club to help raise more than £1,000 to find a cure for brain tumours.
QPR fans Dottie Rees, Luke Webber and Steve Ryder travelled to the club to spearhead a charity takeover day on Saturday 25th February.
Six-year-old Dottie said she had the “best day and couldn’t believe how nice everyone was”. Dottie had just turned four when she was diagnosed with a rare and inoperable low-grade glioma in September 2020. She has completed 63 rounds of chemotherapy.
Dottie added: “I’d like to thank them for being so kind and taking the time to say hi. It was also great to meet others, like me, who have a brain tumour.”
Since his diagnosis with a low-grade craniopharyngioma in 2020, Luke has undergone two surgeries and proton beam therapy. He now lives with a number of life-changing chronic conditions, including diabetes insipidus, adrenal insufficiency and hypothyroidism.
“It was a really enjoyable experience with everyone I spoke to seeming genuinely interested in learning about the charity and my personal connection to it,” he said.
Just two days before the match, Steve visited our Centre of Excellence at Imperial College, London, where he placed three tiles on the Wall of Hope. Steve was diagnosed with two tumours in July 2020. He underwent surgery to remove the tumours, which were later identified as secondary grade 4 melanomas, and went on to have immunotherapy.
He said it was “inspiring” to meet Dottie and Luke, adding: “They’re both so resilient and showing the positive side of a negative situation.”
As well as greeting fellow fans alongside club mascot Jude the Cat before the match with Blackburn Rovers kicked off, the trio, their families and representatives from the charity collected donations, raising more than £1,180.
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