A renowned chef who was struck down by a brain tumour is urging people to sign our petition calling for greater investment in research into the disease.
Prior to his diagnosis, John Lawson worked in restaurants around the world, alongside the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Raymond Blanc, did private cheffing for celebrity families like the Beckhams and appeared on a host of reality TV shows, including Chopped in America, which he won.
When he began experiencing blackouts and dizziness in December 2014, John assumed they were being caused by stress. It wasn’t until six months later, when he woke up having a seizure, that he had his symptoms investigated.
John was eventually diagnosed with a grade 2 oligodendroglioma, but the biopsy he had caused him to suffer an uncommon form of stroke. He woke up brain-damaged, unable to speak, with no memory and without the use of the entire left-hand side of his body.
He required months of intense rehabilitation, including strength training and speech therapy.
After regaining his strength, John underwent an awake craniotomy during which more than 90% of his tumour was removed. He has been on a monitoring ‘watch and wait’ approach since and is thankful that none of his scans have shown any signs of recurrence.
Now, he is campaigning alongside us to help our petition reach 100,000 signatures, in the hope of prompting a parliamentary debate.
John said: “I’m a big advocate of the need for greater investment in brain tumour research. We need to bring the survival rates for brain tumour patients in line with that of other cancers, like breast cancer, which has received a much higher level of investment to get it to where it is today. I would urge everyone to sign this petition. It only takes a minute and could save the life of someone you love.”
Help us reach 100,000 signatures by 31st October by signing and sharing our petition today: www.braintumourresearch.org/pages/brain-tumour-research-petition
Related reading: