The Beresford-Smart family has set up Team Joshua to fulfil their son’s wishes: “to raise money and awareness for brain tumours”. Josh (pictured with his dog Maddie) didn’t want anyone else to go through what he’d been through.
Josh, the youngest of three sons, was a keen sportsman who played rugby for a local club and football and cricket for his school and had dreams of becoming a human rights lawyer. He was diagnosed with a diffuse midline glioma (DMG or DIPG) at the age of 15 after developing a tremor in his hand and sleeping much longer than usual, and underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Josh also started a clinical trial in August 2018, which kept his tumour stable for many months, but was forced to stop in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Shortly afterwards, his symptoms changed with the tremors in his hand increasing, as well as starting to suffer from headaches. Later, Josh started losing his mobility and then more and more function. On 19th February 2021, Josh died at home, aged 18.
Mum Michelle said: “I think the hardest thing for Josh was losing function but still being locked inside, able to understand everything.”
Tomorrow (27th January) Michelle, her sister and three friends are taking on a half-marathon Winter Walk in London to raise funds for Team Joshua.
We send our best wishes, knowing it will be particularly poignant because several weeks after starting the clinical trial, Josh completed a fundraising half-marathon London walk with his mum, his two brothers, Tom and Matt, and family friends. Josh walked most of the distance, just relying on his wheelchair for a mile or two in the middle.
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Michelle-Beresford-Smart1
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