WATCH: Brave mum Katie in £90k bid to help tackle brain tumour victims

Katie Smith's life was turned upside down when she was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer just three months after returning home from her honeymoon.

There had been no signs of anything wrong until she was struck down with debilitating headaches which would wake her in the night and leave her frightened to go to bed.

After turning to doctors for help the English teacher and her husband Luke received the devastating diagnosis in late 2015 that she had a brain tumour called an oligoastrocytoma.

Since then the 33-year-old has endured two operations and radiotherapy which has left her with permanent hair loss and is undergoing her fifth round of chemotherapy.

But sadly, Katie, who is mother to 20-month-old Eli, has been told she may not live to see her 40th birthday.

WATCH: Katie's and Luke's vlog is gaining fans

“When I heard the words brain tumour, it was terrifying. For me, it was synonymous with a death sentence and my whole world was turned upside down. It truly hit home when I found out I might not make it to 40.”

Despite her difficult prognosis and ongoing treatment, Katie and Luke have decided to devote a year of their precious time to raising funds towards finding a cure for the disease.

The couple, who live in Stourbridge, have set up Brainstorm, a fundraising group under the umbrella of the Brain Tumour Research charity.

They have set themselves an ambitious target of raising £90,000 this year and already have a variety of events planned including a celebrity hat auction, an 8,000m indoor climb and snowboard challenge.

But as well as generating cash for the charity, the couple desperately want to raise awareness of brain tumours.

"Brain tumours don't discriminate, they can affect any age, any gender, any race.

"More children die from brain tumours than leukaemia but leukaemia is the one that everybody is familiar with. We talk about cancer more openly now than we used to but brain tumours seem to be the last taboo," says Katie, who previously worked at Wyre Forest School.

The couple say there were shocked by the amount of funding brain tumour research receives compared with other cancers.

"Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. Less than 20 per cent survive beyond five years and after that there is a higher chance of the tumour coming back.

Out of all the money spent on cancer research only one per cent is spent on brain tumours," explains 35-year-old Luke.

"If we don't talk about brain tumours more and that it gets so little funding, we're not going to change the statistics," says Katie.

“I want everyone to know just how devastating a brain tumour diagnosis can be and yet how little has be spent on research into this awful disease. I have a personal blog where I talk about my experience and Luke and I have also been vlogging. We’re even going to start a podcast.

“Although I am a dreamer, I’m realistic enough to know that I’ll be long gone before any progress is made significant enough to save my life.

"But I do want to help others and, more than anything, I want my little boy to grow up to be proud of his mummy. I want him to know that I have done all I can for this vital cause and I want him to live in a world where no-one dies of brain tumours any more,” she adds.

For Katie, who will undergo a sixth round of chemotherapy in March, the fundraising mission is giving something to focus on during her treatment.

“As hard as it is, I try to be positive. Fundraising for Brain Tumour Research and setting up Brainstorm has given me a great deal of purpose and helped me to come to terms with my diagnosis. We’ve already got a whole range of exciting events in the diary.

“Luke’s taking on an indoor climbing challenge which will be equivalent to 8,000m – the height of Mount Everest, and, having taken part in Brain Tumour Research’s Wear A Hat Day last year, we were also inspired to hold a signed celebrity hat auction.

"We have some fantastic famous faces on board, including Sir Chris Hoy, Cillian Murphy and Nick Owen, and hope to get many more. Our friends and family members have been incredibly supportive and one of my close friends is even taking on the London Marathon for the cause.”

Cillian Murphy donated a hat he wore in the third series of Peaky Blinders while he was filming at Dudley Canal Trust.

To go with the cap, the actor wrote the message: "Through moments of glory and adversity this hat had me covered.

"Now I hand the care of it to you. I hope you will look after it as it looked after me. And through your help it'll now be able to help others. By Order of the Peaky Blinders, Cillian Murphy."

"We are hoping to get as many hats as possible and hold an auction towards the end of the year," says Katie.

Carrie Bater, Brain Tumour Research's community fundraising manager in the Midlands, said: “Katie is incredible and her drive to support this important cause is inspiring. We’re very grateful for all she is doing particularly when her life is so busy and time so precious.

“Less than 20 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers and we cannot allow this desperate situation to continue.”

*To donate to Brainstorm go to www.justgiving.com/companyteams/brainstorming or follow Katie and Luke on their YouTube channel