Brain Research UK

Chris Faulkner

Chris Faulkner

Chris Faulkner

My Story

Running the London Marathon for Brain Research UK is really important to me.  Please give what you can.

My wife, Maryke, was diagnosed with a brain tumour a few years ago.  Its easy to think, OK, let's get it out and move on, but it doesn't always work like that.  She was lucky that it was relatively small, low grade and accessible and had it removed last year (18 months after being told to have it removed within 12).  For many it will come back and when it progresses, there is no cure.  When they operate, they make a hole in the skull the size of a large orange, not because they have to, but to make it easier for next time.

Many people have much more advanced tumours that are inoperable and it's a race against time. They don't even know what some parts of her brain that they removed do.

Brain Research UK fund research into this area (including Maryke's specific condition) and other aspects of the brain.  The amount invested in this area is pitiful.

There are many statistics that will shock and surprise:

  • Brain tumours kill more people under 40 than any other cancer
  • Glioblastoma (which isn't what Maryke has) has a one year survival rate of 25% from diagnosis
  • High grade glioma has a prognosis of 2 years

There are many more, and to be honest, i don't want to think about them!

I want to raise as much money as possible and also awareness.

I have also just had by 50th Birthday and want to prove to myself that I can do it.  Rather than having a big party, I want the party to be raising money.  If you would have come and bought a drink (or more than one!) please donate that money instead.

I also want to run the London Marathon at least once and banish my marathon demons.  I do run regularly but never normally over more than 13 miles.  For some reason, I find it many times harder even going from 13 miles to 16.  3 hour training runs are not on my bucket list!  This will be hard and to make it harder, I am doing this with an 8 rather than the traditional 16 week training plan!

Please give what you can.  I may never do this again, and research is needed now.

Brain Research UK

Raising for:

Brain Research UK
109%

Funded

  • Target
    £4,500
  • Raised so far
    £4,922
  • Number of donors
    105

My Story

Running the London Marathon for Brain Research UK is really important to me.  Please give what you can.

My wife, Maryke, was diagnosed with a brain tumour a few years ago.  Its easy to think, OK, let's get it out and move on, but it doesn't always work like that.  She was lucky that it was relatively small, low grade and accessible and had it removed last year (18 months after being told to have it removed within 12).  For many it will come back and when it progresses, there is no cure.  When they operate, they make a hole in the skull the size of a large orange, not because they have to, but to make it easier for next time.

Many people have much more advanced tumours that are inoperable and it's a race against time. They don't even know what some parts of her brain that they removed do.

Brain Research UK fund research into this area (including Maryke's specific condition) and other aspects of the brain.  The amount invested in this area is pitiful.

There are many statistics that will shock and surprise:

  • Brain tumours kill more people under 40 than any other cancer
  • Glioblastoma (which isn't what Maryke has) has a one year survival rate of 25% from diagnosis
  • High grade glioma has a prognosis of 2 years

There are many more, and to be honest, i don't want to think about them!

I want to raise as much money as possible and also awareness.

I have also just had by 50th Birthday and want to prove to myself that I can do it.  Rather than having a big party, I want the party to be raising money.  If you would have come and bought a drink (or more than one!) please donate that money instead.

I also want to run the London Marathon at least once and banish my marathon demons.  I do run regularly but never normally over more than 13 miles.  For some reason, I find it many times harder even going from 13 miles to 16.  3 hour training runs are not on my bucket list!  This will be hard and to make it harder, I am doing this with an 8 rather than the traditional 16 week training plan!

Please give what you can.  I may never do this again, and research is needed now.