An 81-year-old has completed an epic Zipslide the Clyde challenge in memory of his daughter who died of brain cancer.
Sigvald Lofnes hurtled 1,245ft across the River Clyde at a height of 100-ft on Sunday (8th September). He braved the challenge to raise money for Brain Tumour Research inspired by his daughter, Karen Parry, who died of a glioblastoma (GBM) in 2020 at the age of 52.
Sigvald said: “I’m not usually much of a thrill seeker but I will do anything to raise money to combat this devastating disease since Karen was taken from us. I know she would smile at the idea of me zipping over the river in her memory; we were very close.”
Mum-of-two Karen lived and worked in close proximity to the river, running her own architectural practice. It was after she suffered from a spell of headaches, balance issues, and fits, that Karen was diagnosed with a high-grade tumour in June 2019.
Karen’s condition rapidly deteriorated, with chemotherapy “wreaking havoc” on her body. In the four months leading up to her death in November 2020, she became bedridden and unable to walk.
Sigvald’s incredible challenge has raised nearly £2,000.
He added: “We simply don’t know enough about brain cancer. The fact that just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to the disease since records began in 2002 is unacceptable. Hopefully the money raised with this challenge can help make a real difference to the researchers hunting for a cure.”
There’s still time to support Sigvald’s fundraising. To donate via his JustGiving page, click here.
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Published Tuesday 10th September 2024.