Kate’s big leap
Saying ‘Thank you’ with a skydive
Kate wanted to “stick two fingers up” to everything she had been through, so she signed herself up to do a skydive. She also wanted to raise money for Brain Tumour Support because her local Support Group was a great help to her and her family.
Kate was diagnosed after a sudden seizure (in a zoo of all places) and she had a grade three anaplastic astrocytoma removed, followed by several rounds of radiotherapy. She was initially apprehensive about attending a Support Group but she really wanted to speak to people who had been through similar experiences.
“I was worried it would be like an Alcoholics Anonymous meeting,” said Kate. “And I was scared of what other people’s stories would be. I was even, would you believe it, worried about what people would look like.”
Kate and her husband attended the Somerset Support Group and found it helpful to talk to other members about their experiences.
“I have met some wonderful people, each with their own story to tell,” said Kate. “And the Support Worker running the meeting was amazing too. She was there to offer advice or just to listen to me rant about my worries.”
Today, after finishing radiotherapy and getting her driving license back, Kate is back at work. “I am so grateful to all the people my husband and I met at the Support Group and also at the charity’s Patient and Family Weekend where I met specialists and got lots of advice,” she said.
“I’m doing the skydive for them, so that the charity can continue the fantastic work it does. Others might choose to raise money for research, but I feel it’s really important that people are able to access support like this when they need it the most.”
Kate’s blog
You can read more about Kate’s journey in her own words on her blog. Her down-to-earth and often humorous writing reflects her experiences from diagnosis, through to successful treatment and her latest, encouraging, scan results.
Read Kate’s blogMarking ten years with a new challenge
2025 is ten years since Kate’s diagnosis and surgery. She lives with the long term effects of treatment, but her scans have been clear for nine years, she’s mum to a four year old and she says ‘I am super grateful I’m still here as a result of surgery and radiotherapy.’ So Kate decided ‘it’s time for me to do some fundraising again so that people in similar situations can have support for themselves and their family.’
This time Kate’s taking on a tandem hang glide – or as she explains it ‘I’m going to run off a cliff in North Devon to attempt to fly!’
Find out more and support her fundraising here.
