91Èȱ¬

Julia Somerville OBE, is one of the most recognised faces on television having co-presented the 91Èȱ¬ Nine O’Clock News, ITN’s lunchtime news, and News at Ten. Today Julia advocates for the British public in the 91Èȱ¬â€™s Rip Off Britain.

Julia joins us for brainstrust’s appeal because of her affinity with the charity’s work, and the people that the organisation helps day in day out. In this appeal, Julia shares her own experiences of being diagnosed with a brain tumour and the ensuing, successful treatment. She understands completely the impact that a brain tumour diagnosis can have on the whole family, with her young daughter having found her during a seizure - a common way for a brain tumour to make itself apparent.

How would you feel, hearing the words ‘you have a brain tumour’?

At brainstrust, we know that it is terrifying, and that life with a brain tumour is lonely and uncertain. Sometimes there is treatment, but it can be overwhelming, confusing and impacts hugely on day-to-day life. On top of this, you and your family have to deal not only with a potential cancer diagnosis, but also with a progressive neurological disease.

This means that alongside the reality of the death of a loved one, which many a brain tumour diagnosis brings, you face changes in personality, loss of mobility, loss of memory, and loss of speech. Put simply, when you hear the words ‘you have a brain tumour’ you become a different person, and your relationships with other people, and the world, change too.

60,000 people in the UK are living with a brain tumour today. Each of these people will have one, if not more, caregivers. More children die from a brain tumour than from any other cancer, and brain tumours account for the greatest number of years of life lost in people under 40. Yet specialist brain tumour support, and research into the disease is desperately underfunded.

brainstrust is the charity that is here, 24/7, to help people with a brain tumour to feel less alone, less afraid, and more in control in the face of such a devastating diagnosis. Your support will help more people to take control, and live life the best they can during their brain tumour journey. You can make a big difference. We know.

Phoebe is currently six years old and loves drawing and music. Since she had an operation to remove a malignant brain tumour in 2015, she and her mum Rachel have found ways to talk about it. She says: "I'm a happy person, even when we go through hard things. It was a big lump inside my head". The doctors removed her lump, but the treatment following the surgery has taken its toll.

Her dad Matthew remembers how he learned of the diagnosis, "My phone rang and it was Rachel, although she didn't tell me on the phone that it was a tumour, I could hear the fear in her voice."

After the diagnosis, Matthew searched around on the internet for information about Phoebe's condition. But what he found was either unreliable or disreputable. Following a meeting with a helpful person from brainstrust, the family brought home a box filled with exactly the the resources they needed. Diaries and local information about support and about Phoebe's tumour.

They also had access to the amazing meet up days that brainstrust provide, where Phoebe can interact with other children with brain tumours. The family now have an amazing support network in place through brainstrust together with their own friends and family.


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Brainstrust have coined a phrase for what Chris is going through: scanxiety. This is the tension and uncertainty that comes from being locked into a cycle of scans and results meetings. It's something known to a lot of people with brain tumours like Chris, and in this month's Lifeline, we follow him through this journey.

Chris and his partner Holly are planning to go away to the USA for Christmas with his family, however, he has a scan coming up. If it goes well then they can continue with their plans, but if it doesn't, then there will perhaps be a new round of treatments that will mean he has to stay.

It's a pattern that can dictate how a life is lived. But brainstrust's Meet Ups are an opportunity to feel connected to others who are also feeling the scanxiety, and feel less alone. It's a amazing how supportive this is, to sit in a room with people who simply understand. Chris certainly thinks so, "I've been to seven or eight of these, and I know I'll be the guy coming back in twenty years, because I have to believe that."