A man from southwest London, who is living with life-changing effects of a brain tumour, has visited a research centre where scientists are searching for a cure for the disease.
Philip Scard, of Twickenham, was invited to the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London (Queen Mary) yesterday (15 March) to place tiles on the Wall of Hope.
Philip, 39, was diagnosed with an oligodendroglioma brain tumour in 2015 after suffering a seizure. In 2017, he underwent surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Despite anti-epilepsy medication, his seizures continue to have a major effect on his life.
Since being diagnosed, Philip, a former scientist, has been campaigning with and fundraising for the charity Brain Tumour Research and has raised almost £22,000 principally from donations when he ran the London Marathon.
Philip was among a select group of supporters given the opportunity to tour the labs led by principal investigator Professor Silvia Marino, and speak to scientists about their work to find a cure for the disease, before placing eight tiles on the Wall of Hope.
Each tile placed on the Wall represented the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research and celebrates the fundraising achievements of the family or supporter involved.
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
Philip said: “I am a keen runner and chose to attempt the London Marathon in 2017 as it was the last opportunity I had before my treatment and the position of the tumour means that as it grows I lose mobility in the right side of the body. I lost strength during chemo, so it will be enormously difficult to attempt it again.
“A brain tumour is a life-changing disability which is devastating enough without the additional social and financial burdens that patients like myself have to bear. I’ve had to move home to somewhere that is safer for my seizures. I can no longer drive which reduces my independence and I can’t commute because of the seizure risk – it’s very isolating. Above all, because of the treatment and fatigue I am unable to work. The limitations, pressure and uncertainty continue to pile up.”
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Philip for his support and hope he inspires others to fundraise for Brain Tumour Research.
“Philip’s story reminds us that just 12.5% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50% across all cancers. We cannot allow this desperate situation to continue. Brain Tumour Research is determined to change outcomes for brain tumour patients and ultimately find a cure.”
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.
To find out more about Sponsoring a Day of research go to www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise/sponsor-a-day
