A couple has shared how they rushed forward their wedding so their baby would share a surname with his mum before he died of a brain tumour.
Sharing her family’s story on Yahoo! Kate Goodall said it “meant so much” that she shared a surname with her beloved son Jacob before he tragically succumbed to a brain tumour.
Jacob was just four-and-a-half weeks old when he was diagnosed with an extremely rare atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumour (ATRT). His parents, Kate and Andy, were told he had a “very slim” chance of survival but were given hope after surgery successfully removed 95% of the tumour.
Eight days after Jacob’s surgery, on 16th September 2016, Kate and Andy tied the knot at the Portsmouth Register Office – a far cry from the festival wedding they were in the early stages of planning. After exchanging vows, the newlyweds headed straight back to the hospital to be with their son.
In mid-November, an MRI scan revealed that the tumour had returned, larger than before. A tumour on Jacob’s kidney was also discovered. Kate said: “At that point, we knew it was over.”
Jacob died in the arms of his loving parents on 24th November 2016, at the age of just four months.
Working with Brain Tumour Research, Kate is sharing her family’s heart-breaking story to raise awareness of this devastating disease which kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
She is also taking part in our 10,000 Steps a Day in February challenge in Jacob’s memory: “I want to do this for Jacob, it’s so important to me. If just one penny I raise helps other families avoid the heartbreak we’ve been through, then it’s worth it. Hopefully, the wee guy will be with me every step of the way.”
To support Kate’s fundraising, visit: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/foreverjacob