Our Fundraising Group In Kev’s Memory put on a gig in memory of Kevin O’Mahoney which has raised almost £2,600.
During the night at The Station, Cannock, West Midlands, all three bands and the DJ had connections with brain tumours, including the rock band Bloke of which Kev used to be a member.
Kev’s family set up In Kev’s Memory after he passed away in May 2019, aged 53, leaving his wife Annette (pictured second from left) and two daughters Paige and Eve (pictured second from right), who were 22 and 20 respectively at the time.
Having been diagnosed with a brain tumour after a seizure, Kev underwent a six-hour operation in 2018.
In June the same year, Kev had five days of radiotherapy at New Cross Hospital. The damage to his brain affected his eyesight and he had to walk with a stick.
In March 2019, Kev started experiencing terrible back pain and an MRI scan revealed that his tumour had recurred in three places. His health deteriorated rapidly from then, meaning he never got to start planned chemotherapy and he died in hospital on 24 May.
Annette said: “Kevin’s funeral was a fitting celebration of his life. He loved rock music and we played his favourite song ‘Black’ by Pearl Jam and tracks by Led Zeppelin.
“I was appalled to learn that just 12% of brain tumour patients survive beyond five years, but Kevin only managed 15 months. Our first fundraiser for Brain Tumour Research was a gig with Kevin’s friends playing and performing. We sold all 110 tickets in just 10 hours.”
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