In Our Hearts

Less than 20% of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years

These very brave people will remain in our hearts for ever and it is because of them that we are fighting to find a cure so that no other family should have to suffer in the same way.

"We thought of you with love today, but that is nothing new.

We thought about you yesterday, and days before that too."

Anon

You are forever in our hearts.

Recently published stories

Daniel Franklin

Daniel Franklin, a kitchen assistant from Worthing, West Sussex, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) in October 2020 after suffering with balance problems and sickness. The location of the tumour on his brain stem rendered it inoperable but he did have radiotherapy. He went on to have chemotherapy, which proved ineffective, and a second round of radiotherapy, which he complemented with holistic treatments. Sadly, from August 2021, his health began to deteriorate and he died at home three months later at the age of 26.

James Lamerton

James Lamerton, a teacher from Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in his pineal gland in October 2021, later identified as a grade 4 glioblastoma (GBM). He was being treated for sleep apnoea at the time and was taking medication for migraines thought to be connected to the condition. He suffered complications following surgery and died five weeks after his diagnosis, at the age of 40, leaving behind his wife, Myriam and their two-year-old daughter, Layla.

Natalie Harding

Natalie from Coventry was diagnosed with a brain tumour when she was 27, after suffering a seizure out-of-the-blue. A scan at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire showed a mass on her brain. Over the next four years, Natalie had four operations and endured countless rounds of gruelling chemotherapy treatment. After initially being diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) a clinical trial found Natalie was living with an extremely rare type of brain tumour. Desperate to fight the disease, Natalie paid for innovative treatment, travelling regularly to Germany, however the cancer was too aggressive and she died aged 31 in November 2021.

Janette "Jay" Sherrell

Jay Sherrell passed away in May 2015, a little over three years after being diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme. She was 43 and left two young children, an identical twin sister, an older brother and sister plus her mum.

“Although we had known for some time that this moment was coming, I was still extremely shocked when Jay died and, to start with, didn’t really cope at all. I truly felt as if I had lost my shadow. It was as if someone had cut off my arm. I still dream about her a lot and have flashbacks of the times that we were teenagers doing silly things. I talk to her all the time as if she is still here with me. Of course I miss her like mad but I see her every day when I look in the mirror.” Read more

Jason Willis

Jason Willis, a dad-of-two from Greater Manchester, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in January 2019. Following brain surgery, six weeks of radiotherapy and a further six months of chemotherapy, in January 2020, Jason received the heartbreaking news that his aggressive tumour had continued to grow. Jason was cared for at home by his wife Jen throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. He died on 26 October 2020, aged 44, leaving behind Jen and their two young daughters.

Jay Lynchehaun

We are grateful to Jay, and his mother Sharon, who worked with us in March 2017 to share his story here. Sadly, he passed away in March 2022 We remember Jay as we continue our work to raise awareness of this devastating disease and to fund research to help find a cure. He will be forever in our hearts.

In October 2011, aged 25, Jay was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme brain tumour (GBM4). He was given a prognosis of six months. More than six years on, while still on three-monthly scans, Jay is a devoted husband to Becky and dedicated father to Teddy, born in January 2017. He has a job he enjoys, working part-time as a graphic designer.

“Two weeks later we were given the histology results. Jay had a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme. We went home in an agonising whirl to do our own research. It was not good reading. I quickly realised that the best way to cope was to look for the positives. I voraciously read the stories of patients who had good outcomes and ignored the negative ones. Regrettably, these were far and few between.”

Jayendra V Patel

Dad, or JV (as he was always known), found out he had a grade IV glioblastoma multiforme in his temporal lobe on his birthday and two weeks before his eldest daughter was due to get married. Just over a year later, his immediate family were all present when JV died.

“Mum is overwhelmed with the amount of help she is now receiving from the local community since my father’s death. She and Dad were one of the first Indian families to settle in Bristol. Everyone is doing as much as they can to fundraise so that ultimately a cure can be found for brain tumours and so that other families will not have to endure watching their loved one deteriorate and die like we did.” Read more

Jeffrey Grey

Jeffrey was diagnosed on 14th February 2012. Valentine’s Day will never be the same again for me.

We had already noticed that Jeffrey’s speech was a little strange and that he was having some issues with his balance. He had also started struggling to complete the time sheets for his local council job. It was thought he had suffered a mini-stroke so it was a real shock when Jeffrey went for a scan to discover he actually had a brain tumour. When I saw the scan I knew straight away – I had seen his father’s MRI scan two years earlier and his tumour and I recognised it immediately. Read more

Jenny Lambert

We are grateful to Jenny who worked with us in June 2018 to share her story here. Sadly, she passed away in November 2019. We remember Jenny as we continue our work to raise awareness of this devastating disease and to fund research to help find a cure. She will be forever in our hearts.

At the age of 59, Jenny Lambert received the news that she had a grade four brain tumour which had probably been growing since her teens. She feared she wouldn’t live to see the birth of her first grandchild but now, 18 months later, Jenny is back on her feet and looking at life from a new, uplifting perspective.

Jenny Murray

Having lost his first wife to cancer, aged 41, Steve thought he had found his life-long partner and soul-mate, following a recording session in his music studio. Jenny was a very talented musician and singer. Tragically, just eight years after they got together Jenny was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour, passing away four months later. Read more

Jenny Weller

We are grateful to Jenny who worked with us in October 2021 to share her story here. Sadly, she passed away in May 2022. We remember Jenny as we continue our work to raise awareness of this devastating disease and to fund research to help find a cure. She will be forever in our hearts.

As a personal trainer with her own specialist fitness centre, Jenny Weller, of Burgess Hill in West Sussex, was the picture of health. When she developed a cough in November 2019, she put it down to stress and, later, COVID-19. It was not until the following year that she also began to suffer with headaches, nausea and sickness. By August 2020, after developing a swelling in her neck and having a seizure at home, she found out she had five brain tumours, in addition to tumours in her lung, neck and pelvis, and in September she underwent a craniotomy to remove the largest one. Her cancer is incurable but she is driven to live the best life she can and last month launched #Wellerfest, a group committed to a year-long campaign to raise funds and awareness for Brain Tumour Research.

Jessica Hoffman

Newly-qualified teacher Jessica Hoffman, 23, initially laughed off forgetting the names of the children in her class, sending nonsensical texts and having a heightened sense of smell. Jessica was completely shocked to discover that she had an aggressive brain tumour and needed urgent treatment. Jessica managed to get her life back on track for another two years before the tumour returned. She endured five surgeries in just one year, but it was too late and she died in May 2016.

“Jess wasn’t given a prognosis but I knew from the internet that “long-term” GBM survival could mean just two years after diagnosis. I told myself that if everyone was predictable then they would be able to cure it. Jessica was young and healthy, she wasn’t going to be an average statistic.”

Jim Murray

We are grateful to Jim and his wife Ally, who worked with us in January 2020 to share his story here. Sadly, Jim passed away on 26^th December 2020. We remember Jim as we continue our work to raise awareness of this devastating disease and to fund research to help find a cure. He will be forever in our hearts

For retired police officer Jim Murray, 53, and his wife Ally, it was a devastating blow to learn his brain tumour had returned. His tumour, a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), brings with it the dire prognosis of just 12 – 18 months. Now two years after his initial diagnosis, Jim and Ally are making the most of every day by travelling and spending time with their three sons Callum, Simon and Richard, and their grandchildren.