A WOKINGHAM mum who lost her daughter to a brain tumour has vowed to raise awareness of the condition which took her 30-year-old daughter’s life.
Claire Hollister was diagnosed with an aggressive gliosarcoma brain tumour in 2010, and died just four months later.
For her mother, Aileen Collingwood, 61, of Honey Hill, it was a double tragedy as she had also lost her sister, Valeria, to a brain tumour 10 years earlier.
Last Thursday, Aileen attended the UK Brain Tumour Symposium in Milton Keynes to hear more about the advances being made through research and support.
The UK Brain Tumour Symposium 2017 (formerly known as the UK Brain Tumour Summit) was jointly organised by two game-changing national charities Brain Tumour Research and brainstrust, which supports people living with a brain tumour throughout the UK. Leading experts from many areas of brain tumour research were brought together to show the progress that is being made on many fronts to improve outcomes for people living with a brain tumour.
Director of Research at Brain Tumour Research, Dr Kieran Breen, delivered an informative speech, updating the delegates on innovative brain tumour treatments from around the world, while Consultant Neurologist, Dr Robin Grant from the Edinburgh Cancer Centre focused his talk on the top 10 priorities for research.
Aileen said: “Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
“Having lost both my daughter and my sister, research into this disease is really important to me. I know that brain tumours can affect anyone at any age, but no one knows what causes them. It is only right that the national spend on research into brain tumours should be increased to £30 – £35 million a year, in line with breast cancer and leukaemia.
“It was comforting to hear that advances are being made, although any improvements in treatment are all far too late for Claire and Valerie. I am determined to continue to raise awareness to help bring about better outcomes for patients so that other families in the future don’t have to go through what we have.
“Life will never be the same again without Claire. There will always be that part of my family missing. I want revenge on this disease and I won’t rest until there is a cure.”
For more information on Brain Tumour Research visit www.braintumourresearch.org.
For more information on brainstrust visit www.brainstrust.org.uk.
