Family visits Research Centre of Excellence

Brain Tumour Research

2 min read

Brain tumour patient and campaigner Amani Liaquat was remembered yesterday when her family visited the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London.

Her parents Yasmin Stannard and Khuram Liaquat were joined by her sisters Ruqayyah and Maleehah and 11 other family members to honour the fundraising efforts undertaken and inspired by their much-loved daughter

Amani, who died in February, aged 23, after a 22 month battle with glioblastoma (GBM), was an integral part our #BrainTumourPetition and Stop the Devastation campaigns and undertook numerous fundraising activities on our behalf, including setting up the Fight4Hope Fundraising Group and organising Luton’s first ever Walk of Hope.

The family toured the labs led by principal investigator Professor Silvia Marino and spoke to scientists about their work to find a cure for brain tumours, before laying 32 tiles on the Wall of Hope, each one representing the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research at the centre.

They also presented a cheque for £40,000 to the charity, which they generously gifted from the remaining crowdfunding donations not used for Amani’s treatment in the hope of helping others.

Yasmin said: “Visiting the centre was a great pleasure. It was informative to have a tour of the laboratory and heart-warming to meet some of the scientists who were bursting with enthusiasm and passion for finding a cure for GBM.

“It was difficult as a family to reflect on how any new scientific advances are already too late for our Amani. However, we are encouraged and hopeful that one day this team of scientists could discover a cure for GBM so families won't have to suffer like ours.”