Northumberland Women Fight For Brain Tumour Funding

A Northumberland pair are raising awareness of brain tumours - which kill more people under 40 than any other cancer in the UK.

Published 6th Mar 2017

A Northumberland pair are raising awareness of brain tumours - which kill more people under 40 than any other cancer in the UK.

Natalie Sweeney and Angela Conway, both 28, suffer from the disease, which gets just 2% of cancer research funding.

Natalie has a grade 3 oligodendroglioma and Angela has a low grade astrocytoma.

They met after their surgeries (and while Natalie was going through chemotherapy), at their local Maggie's Centre young people's group.

Now the two are working to get more funding into research for tumours, as well as raising awareness of the symptoms in young people.

Natalie, from Bedlington, whose tumour is incurable, tells us she would never have done so much before her diagnosis;

“*It sounds really weird, with mine being terminal, but it’s actually the best thing that’s ever happened to us because I’ve inspired so many people.

“I did a photoshoot when I had to ‘Brave the Shave’ and that’s inspired other cancer patients to ‘Brave the Shave’ as well.”*

She’s planning to do a charity skydive later this year to raise money for the Brain Tumour Fund.

Angela, from Ashington, writes a blog about her experiences, she tells us what she thinks about the future;

*“For me the future is less about treatment and more about uncertainty.

“First of all, when I had my surgery, they were unable to remove all of it and we always knew that would be the case,

“And with what’s left – it could never grow back, it could grow back in 50 years, it could grow back in 5 years.”*