A WORKINGTON woman who lost two of her brothers to brain tumours will walk 10,000 steps a day throughout February in their memory.
Richard Jeffery died from a glioblastoma (GBM) in 1991 when he was just 25, while Michael Jeffery, 54, died from the same disease in 2017.
Now, their 60-year-old sister Tracey Porter, of Workington, is working with charity Brain Tumour Research to raise money to help find a cure for the disease.
She said: “It was heartbreaking to watch Richard deteriorate so much until he died.
"When Michael was diagnosed with a brain tumour, he was scared the same fate awaited him as his brother. It was devastating to see it happening to another of my brothers because brain tumours can make the person unrecognisable.
“There’s been no progress in the treatment of brain tumours. It’s awful that nothing has changed between losing Richard three decades ago to now.
"I’m taking on this challenge to raise vital money for Brain Tumour Research because I want to do something positive.”
Richard first went to his GP after feeling dizzy and Michael had gone to the hospital after friends raised concerns he wasn't making sense when speaking.
Tracey, a retired nurse, added: “Despite my line of work, I didn’t know of anyone who had a brain tumour and I didn’t know anything about them.
“Richard had surgery at Newcastle General Hospital, now the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI), and recovered well, but in 1989 he started complaining of back pain.
"A scan showed the disease had spread to his spine. He started having seizures and he became bloated from his medication. He really deteriorated and his vision and mobility went.
“Michael deteriorated really quickly, his mobility decreased, and he started having seizures. The symptoms got worse until he died on December 6, 2017.”
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.
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