Staffordshire family who raised thousands in memoriam of beloved father visits centre to see work of charity

Annette O’Mahoney from Cannock, was inspired to support the charity Brain Tumour Research after losing her husband Kevin, aged 54, in May 2019, a year after his diagnosis with a high-grade brain tumour, leaving her and their two daughters Paige and Eve alone.

Along with family, including Kevin’s brother Ges and his wife Annie from Rugeley, Annette set up a Fundraising Group called In Kev’s Memory, which to date has raised close to £23,000.

March is Brain Tumour Awareness Month and Annette along with Ges and Annie and Kevin’s sisters Carol Lunn and Margaret Thacker, were invited to the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at The University of Plymouth.

There they were able to find out how their fundraising is helping support scientists working to improve the diagnosis and treatment of children and adults with brain tumours and also placed eight tiles dedicated to Kevin on the Wall of Hope at the Centre.

Ges, along with his brother-in-law Jim Cowdell from Cannock and friend Steve Evans  have completed a number of fundraising challenges to mark the anniversaries of Kevin's death, including last year climbing Ben Nevis and walking the West Highland Way  which raised more than £4,000.

Ges said: "The Government doesn’t give enough money to research brain tumours and it doesn’t recognise the terrible impact they have on families. 

“It’s some comfort to think that the donations made in Kev’s memory are helping to make a difference for people diagnosed with brain tumours in the future. 

"Sadly, it’s too late for Kev, but I hope the money raised in his memory is life-changing and brings the day closer when a cure is found and families don’t have to go through what we have.”

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, more women under 35 than breast cancer and more men under 70 than prostate cancer.

 Louise Aubrey, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Kev’s family for their support and generosity.

 "We hope that their visit to our Centre of Excellence at Plymouth offered a useful insight into all we’re doing to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.

 “Just under 13 per-cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 54% across all cancers, yet just one per-cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002. This has to change.”

To find out more about sponsoring a day of research, go to www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise/sponsor-a-day.