Support QE patients on Brain Tumour Day
(Matthew Stride, pictured here with Sir Doug Ellis and the Nexstim brain scanner used to treat Matthew)
Today, Wednesday 8 June, QEHB Charity is recognising World Brain Tumour Day by aiming to raise both awareness of brain tumours, and donations for The Giles’ Trust brain tumour fund.
The Giles’ Trust supports research into brain tumours, which disproportionately affect young people and children, with 71% of brain tumour deaths occurring in people under the age of 75, compared to 47% across all other cancers, and 16,000 people diagnosed with a brain tumour every year.
Shockingly, and despite these worrying statistics, only 1% of the national spend on cancer research is dedicated to brain tumours.
Matthew Stride, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015 at the age of 26 and treated at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, said: “Prior to being diagnosed with a brain tumour in November 2015, I was rather unaware of the disease. Now I understand that brain tumours are the most common malignancy and cause of death in children. This makes the need for research even more vital as it remains critically underfunded in comparison to other illnesses.”
The Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham is one of the largest referral centres in the UK for patients with brain tumours. The demographic of the city and surrounding area is one of the largest and most ethnically diverse in Europe, making it an ideal base for research and trials. World-class scientists in many disciplines, including cancer, are based on site and the integration of basic laboratory research and a strong clinical team provides an excellent platform from which to develop clinical trial programmes to support brain tumour research, with the potential to fast track new treatments and drugs into patients.
Due to this, QEHB Charity is proud to be supporting The Giles’ Trust, established by ex-England cricketer and his wife Stine, who has also received treatment for her brain tumours at the QE.
The Giles’ Trust captured people’s imaginations to the extent that an incredible £35,000 was raised at the launch event on 16 October 2015 - enough to fund The Giles’ Trust Clinical Research Nurse for twelve months. This helped to double the number of patients taking part in brain tumour research at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Ashley and Stine hope that their work will show just how vital research in to brain tumours is.
QEHB Charity will be holding an atrium stand all day (Wednesday 8 June) where Claire Lynch, a specialist nurse in neuroscience, will be present throughout the day to answer any questions about brain tumours and the current research taking place, as well as how to fundraise or donate to The Giles’ Trust.
To find about more about The Giles’ Trust or to donate, please click here