In Our Hearts

We are grateful to Amy who worked with us in May 2017 to share their story here. Sadly, she passed away in 2019. We remember Amy 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.

Determined mum Amy Quin will mark the first anniversary of her brain tumour diagnosis by skydiving 15,000ft from a plane with her sisters. The trio are raising money for the charity Brain Tumour Research. With a prognosis of five to seven years, Amy is hopeful that research will help to identify new treatments which would mean her tumour is operable giving her precious time with her family including partner Lewis and their four-year-old son Hector.

Andrew Atkinson-Whitton loved life. In his 37 years, he touched so many lives with his infectious smile and happy-go lucky nature. Andrew kept smiling even when he was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and had to undergo intensive surgery and treatment but the tumour was too aggressive. He died 20 July 2018, just 14 months after diagnosis, leaving his husband Carl, mum Jill and brother Robert.

Aged 36, Andrew was enjoying life and in a job he loved. Tragically he was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) brain tumour and passed away just 10 months later, at the age of 37. 

Jason Rigby, Director of Fundraising and Supporter Care at Brain Tumour Research, has a very personal reason for working to help find a cure for brain tumours. He lost both his brother and his father to the disease. Jason was just a teenager when he lost his sibling and, some 30 years later, his father died having been diagnosed with the same type of aggressive brain tumour.

Andrew Mackie from Dinnet in Aberdeenshire, was a fun-loving 44-year-old who loved motorbikes. When he started having seizures in August 1999, his GP thought he may have epilepsy but six months later, when his eyesight started to deteriorate, he had a scan which revealed he had a high-grade astrocytoma brain tumour. The lorry driver and father of two girls underwent radiotherapy, surgery and palliative chemotherapy. He died at home on 21 February 2003, with his adoring family by his side.

Andy married his childhood sweetheart and together they had two children and a lovely life. But then Andy started shaking uncontrollably, leading eventually to his diagnosis with an inoperable and incurable DIPG brain tumour, much more common among children. Radiotherapy changed his personality and his marriage broke down. Andy passed away three and a half years after his diagnosis, aged 33.

In just 18 months, Andy Graham’s life had changed beyond recognition. The 52-year-old was diagnosed with a low-grade haemangioblastoma and, despite surgery and treatment, he suffered unimaginable trauma and distress as the tumour continued to grow. Leaving behind his wife and two sons, Andy sadly passed away on New Year’s Eve 2017.

“When the operation finally went ahead in August, Andy’s ordeal didn’t stop there. He was in theatre for 11 hours and I received a call from the surgeon saying ‘if I carry on I’m going to kill him.’ They had only touched the tumour and so much blood flowed that they spent hours mopping it up. Andy had psyched himself up for this surgery for so long and it had been a disaster.”

Andy Watts was 54 and living in Ipswich, Suffolk, when he was diagnosed with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) following surgery which included signing up to take part in a trial of 5-ALA, the “pink drink”. A positive and upbeat person, Andy tried to jolly his family along with jokes. Although his loved ones knew his tumour was incurable and terminal, nothing could prepare them for the fact they lost him just over five months later.