Brain tumour patient takes on 99 Miles challenge to find a cure

Brain Tumour Research

2 min read

A Hertfordshire woman, whose high-grade brain tumour was dismissed as a symptom of her busy life, is pushing for more research into the disease by participating in our 99 Miles in November challenge.

As part of the challenge, fundraisers pledge to cover 99 miles across the month, whichever way they choose. Gabrielle Renée, 50, from Knebworth, who has committed to walking the distance with wife, Alina, and her two adult children, is putting a novel spin on ‘training’ for the event. Gabrielle said: “Together, we’ve covered 45 miles so far. I find I can cover at least a mile every morning by pacing the train station platform, as I always get there early.”

Gabrielle first saw her GP in 2019, after experiencing déjà vu, confusion and visual disturbances. Doctors put it down to overwhelm, following a period of great stress. In the years preceding, Gabrielle had left her husband and began a relationship with Alina, had lost her mother to dementia, and her daughter had been diagnosed with epilepsy. The GP sent her home, telling her to breathe into a paper bag.

But when her visual disturbances worsened, Gabrielle went back to her doctor. She wasn’t suffering pain, but the aura she described led to a diagnosis of ‘silent migraines’. She was placed on beta blockers for two years. When they stopped working, Gabrielle was finally referred to a neurologist.

Devastatingly, an MRI scan in February 2022 ultimately revealed an astrocytoma. During surgery, 95% of the tumour – which was found to be cancerous – was removed. A course of radiotherapy followed, but Gabrielle was unable to complete chemotherapy after she became too unwell to continue.

The hearing therapist and lip-reading teacher said: “The whole experience was hugely traumatic. The pain from the operation was excruciating and the high dose of steroids I had to take changed my personality. I talked non-stop, walked obsessively and felt depressed.”

Despite having to ‘watch and wait’ after a scan in July confirmed a change in Gabrielle’s tumour, she is determined to raise awareness through our month-long challenge. She said: “When I was given my diagnosis, I knew I wanted to support people with all types of brain tumours. Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002. If I can help raise awareness of how little is invested in research into the disease, then I will do that for as long as I can.”

You can donate to us via Gabrielle’s JustGiving page here.