Three Northamptonshire sisters all diagnosed with brain tumours inspire Walk of Hope

Sally Stroman, 51, a town planner in Northampton, has organised a charity walk after her aunt Lesley passed away in May this year with a brain tumour.

Sally will take on the challenge with her mum Janet Haynes, 81, and her daughter Emily, 16, a student at Campion School in Bugbrooke.

Like Janet, her two other sisters, Lesley and Diana, were also diagnosed as adults with meningioma brain tumours.

Lesley, who lived in Northampton and was diagnosed in 2017 at 69 years old, suffered a stroke during an operation to remove her tumour but in May this year Lesley passed away with pneumonia and infection due to the tumour.

Sally said: “Mum was the first of the sisters to be diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumour back in January 2008, aged 68. A GP thought she was starting to suffer with dementia because she was doing things like leaving the gas on and letting a saucepan boil dry. Eventually she was sent for an MRI scan and we were all shocked to learn she had a brain tumour.

“Since then mum has had three operations because of regrowth. She has a scan each year and every time she does we cross our fingers the brain tumour remains stable. Mum is one in a million. She is so caring, strong and has such an amazing sense of humour – I am sure it’s that which keeps her going, along with dad.

"With losing Lesley, and my auntie Diana also having a meningioma and knowing that so little funding goes into research of the disease, made us decide it would be a lovely idea to do a Walk of Hope.”

The walk on Saturday, 26 September, is one of dozens of similar events taking place across the UK for the charity Brain Tumour Research.

The trio will walk from Nether Heyford, where they all live, to Weedon where Janet grew up, along with her two sisters, and back.

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are very grateful to Sally and Janet and all the family for their support and wish them all the very best for their Walk of Hope.”

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 calling 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.