A Devon woman is calling for more funding to be invested into research into brain tumours after losing her mother to the “cruel” disease.
Entrepreneur Samantha Savage was 56 when she was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM), a high-grade tumour with a typical prognosis of just 12 to 18 months, after suffering a seizure in the summer of 2022. The cancer would rob her of her ability “to speak, walk, think, read, and write”.
Her daughter, Kirsty, from Paignton, said: “Mum’s last months were marred by endless struggle. Everything that makes life meaningful became nearly impossible.
“People need to be more aware of what this devastating disease does; it’s one of the worst things that could ever happen to somebody.”
Doctors were reluctant to perform surgery due to the location and size of the high grade GBM. Instead, Samantha underwent rounds of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and took high dosage steroids to counteract frequent seizures. Samantha’s appearance changed drastically, and she soon became unable to perform normal tasks as she had lost her movements in her right side.
Kirsty said: “She bravely fought this devastating disease far longer than the doctors expected. In April 2024, she finally earned her wings. Our family is heartbroken by her loss. She was a vibrant, healthy woman when she was diagnosed, and her life was cruelly stolen.”
Kirsty, who cared for her mother every day alongside raising two young children, has found solace in running as she recovers from the “traumatic” period. As a way of fighting back against the disease, Kirsty will be taking on the Torbay Half Marathon on Sunday 29 October and raising money for Brain Tumour Research. Her fundraiser has already raised more than £2,740, the cost of funding a full day of research at one of Brain Tumour Research’s Centres of Excellence.
Kirsty said: “I’m raising money for this charity to help other families facing such painful diagnoses and the grim prognosis that comes with this often-overlooked cancer, which I believe is one of the most brutal. We urgently need to raise awareness, improve the quality of life for those suffering from this disease, and, ultimately, find a cure.”
Kirsty is also supporting Brain Tumour Research’s calls for the government to follow through on its promise to invest £40million into research into the disease. Since the promise was made in 2018, only a little over 25% is in the hands of researchers.
Louise Aubrey, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “It is unacceptable that the full allocation of the £40 million has still not been deployed.
Brain tumour patients do not have the luxury of time and any barriers to research funding must be identified and removed. If not, then the shocking statistics surrounding this devastating disease will only worsen, and more families like Kirsty’s will suffer more terrible losses.
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and 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.
You can donate to Kirsty’s fundraiser here:
https://sportsgiving.co.uk/sponsorship/entry/1251282
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