A BRAIN tumour patient and his brother are limbering up to run the London Marathon on Sunday and help find a cure for brain tumours.

Nick and Matt Thomas, who both live in Abingdon, will be running their first marathon to help raise funds for the charity Brain Tumour Research after Nick was diagnosed in 2014 with a meningioma brain tumour.

Nick, 49 first realised something was wrong in 2013 when he experienced a black dot in his vision in one eye. The following day he lost the sight in his left eye and went to an optician who referred him to hospital. His sight gradually returned over a six-month period, but despite investigations, it took a year for Nick to be diagnosed with a brain tumour.

He said: “At the time I was told the tumour was slow-growing so we agreed to watch and wait. However, in 2016, a scan revealed that the tumour was growing faster and I underwent six weeks of radiotherapy at the Churchill Hospital in Oxford.

“Since then, I have lost a colleague to a brain tumour, as well as my uncle, who was given six months, but actually survived two years. I didn’t realise until I was affected that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.”

Oxford Mail:

“When my brother decided, back in 2019, to register for the 2020 London Marathon and raise funds to help find a cure for brain tumours, I decided it was high time I got fit too, so I signed up as well and started my own marathon training.”

Brother and keen runner Matt, 47, said: “I remember how we all felt when we heard Nick had been diagnosed with a brain tumour very close to his optic nerve. Thankfully it wasn’t high-grade. We are doing this to help bring hope and better outcomes for those diagnosed with this cruel disease.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. The charity said that only one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours, yet 88 per cent of those diagnosed with the disease survive less than five years.

Melanie Tiley, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research said: “We are very grateful to Nick and Matt for setting themselves this huge challenge and for their fundraising support. With brain tumours killing more men under 70 than prostate cancer, it’s vital we continue the fight to find a cure.”

To make a donation to Brain Tumour Research via Matt and Nick’s fundraising page, visit justgiving.com/fundraising/matt-nick-thomas

Keep up to date with all the latest news on our website, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

For news updates straight to your inbox, sign up to our newsletter here.

Have you got a story for us? Contact our newsdesk on news@nqo.com or 01865 425 445.