A woman living with a brain tumour has taken part in an indoor skydive, raising money to help fund vital research into the disease.
Ali Herbert, from Towcester, Northamptonshire, participated in the event at iFLY Indoor Skydiving, Milton Keynes on Friday 29th June 2018. She was joined by members of the Brain Tumour Research charity, which is also based in Milton Keynes. Ali raised over £600, with iFLY Indoor Skydiving donating a further £200.
Ali, a 36-year-old Early Years practitioner at Towcester Tots Day nursery in Towcester, said: “I was privileged to take part in the indoor skydive. This crazy and very last-minute moment of spontaneity was the closest I could get to a real skydive, as the doctors usually say no to me taking part in such fundraising events, and I am happy to have raised money for such a worthy cause.”
After suffering a seizure, Ali was first diagnosed with a brain tumour in April 2005. She has endured chemotherapy, radiotherapy, awake brain surgery and also suffers from epilepsy, now controlled with medication, as a result of the tumour.
Ali added: “I’m fully aware that there are others with tumours far worse than mine and many of them will be children. I’m in a battle with my disease and choose to use positive mental attitude, good humour and determination to keep on smiling.”
Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, they kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
Michael Thelwall, Head of Community Fundraising for the Brain Tumour Research charity, said: “For too long, brain tumours have been a neglected cancer and we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue. We are extremely grateful to Ali for her support and congratulate her on completing the indoor skydive.”
To make a donation to the Brain Tumour Research charity via Ali’s JustGiving page, go to: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ali-herbert1
For further information, please contact:
Annie Slinn at Brain Tumour Research on 01908 867239 or 07591 206545 or annie.slinn@braintumourresearch.org.
Notes to Editors
Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK dedicated to raising funds for continuous and sustainable scientific research into brain tumours, and we are a leading voice calling for greater support and action for research into what scientists are calling the last battleground against cancer.
We are building a network of experts in sustainable research at dedicated Centres of Excellence whilst influencing the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more nationally.
We welcome recent funding announcements for research into brain tumours from the UK Government and Cancer Research UK – £65 million pledged over the next five years. However, this potential funding of £13 million a year comes with a catch – money will only be granted to quality research proposals and, due to the historic lack of investment, there may not be enough of these applications that qualify for grants from this pot.
We want research funding parity with breast cancer and leukaemia. We are calling for a £30-35 million investment every year for research into brain tumours in order to fund the basic research groundwork needed to accelerate the translation from laboratory discoveries into clinical trials and fast-track new therapies for this devastating disease.
The Brain Tumour Research charity is a powerful campaigning organisation and represents the voice of the brain tumour community across the UK. We helped establish and provide the ongoing Secretariat for the All Party Parliamentary Group for Brain Tumours (APPGBT). We are supporting the crucial APPGBT 2018 Inquiry into the economic and social impacts of brain tumours and will publish their report in the autumn. We are also a key influencer in the development strategy for the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission.
Key statistics on brain tumours:
- Brain tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any age
- Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer
- Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours
- In the UK, 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour
- Brain tumours kill more children than leukaemia
- Brain tumours kill more men under 45 than prostate cancer
- Brain tumours kill more women under 35 than breast cancer
- Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers
Please quote Brain Tumour Research as the source when using this information. Additional facts and statistics are available from our website. We can also provide case studies and research expertise for the media.