Sarah and Emma’s story
Sarah, and sister Emma, are taking on the Newport Half Marathon in March 2024, in memory of their wonderful mum Stella, and generously fundraising for Brain Tumour Support.
Sarah tells us that, “Running a half marathon is a significant undertaking for us, not only sentimentally, as mum loved to run, but also physically, as we haven’t been able to run that distance for a good number of years! I have also been recently diagnosed with arachnoid cysts in my brain, which may slow me down, but I’ll hopefully be able to make it around without falling over… Wish us luck!!”
Brain Tumour Support have been helping me to cope. It’s somewhere to talk to someone that understands, but isn’t directly involved or emotionally connected to mum. Thank you for everything you have done!
The First Signs
Sarah has kindly shared her family’s experience with her mum’s brain tumour diagnosis.
Sarah, Emma and their beloved mum, Stella
“My mum was fit and healthy, and we had no idea that she was ill. She was in a spin class the week before she went into hospital! The day she went into hospital, I was at a Halloween party with the kids. My sister is a GP, so knew that something was wrong when we popped round to see her before the party, as she’d been in bed for a couple of days not feeling herself. She couldn’t use the left side of her body, so we thought maybe she’d had a stroke. We took her straight to hospital.
“Funnily enough, she’d been in A&E the week before, with pains in her chest, but doctors said it was indigestion. Sadly that turned out to be clots on her lungs, a secondary effect from the massive brain tumour, which they discovered on 29th October 2022.
The Diagnosis
“It was a Friday night, and I overheard on the phone the doctor in resuss insisting that they treat mum immediately, rather than wait until Monday, as the ‘risk of mortality’ was high. She was then under the care of Dr Martha, who shares a name with my daughter, which I think mum found comforting. She also happened to be the daughter of a famous mountaineer, which was of great interest to my dad!
The grandchildren blowing out the candles on what should have been their grandma’s 70th birthday cake
“Mum managed to make an improvement in hospital, on steroids, and had a lovely time for the next couple of weeks. She started making plans for when she got out. However, it wasn’t to be. She took a downhill turn, and her brothers came to say goodbye, before she died on 19th November 2022.
Life after Mum
“Since then, we’ve all struggled to cope, really. Mum did everything for my dad in terms of life organising, online banking, laundry, cooking etc. so it’s been a steep learning curve for him. However, Brain Tumour Support have been helping me to cope. It’s somewhere to talk to someone that understands, but isn’t directly involved or emotionally connected to mum. Thank you for everything you have done!
“We can’t believe it’s been almost a whole year without her, but we know she would be proud of this fundraising endeavour.”
If you’ve been inspired to get involved in a running event, and fundraise for Brain Tumour Support, check out our Running Club. It’s an inclusive, encouraging community to anyone, from those just starting out running, to those who have got multiple marathons under their belt!
You can also donate to Sarah and Emma’s fundraiser here and stay up to date with their training over the coming months.
