**If you are donating in memory of Jim Hiles - thank you so much. The Hiles family have been great friends with Andy's family for many decades and I am grateful to them for highlighting my fundraising at this sad time.**
My husband Andy died from a brain tumour in 2018, aged just 37. He had a job he loved as an engineer in sustainable manufacturing, twin sons who he adored, and a huge network of friends and family who loved him for his boundless energy, sense of humour and devoted loyalty (among other things!).
Before he was diagnosed in 2014, I knew little about brain tumours, except that they sounded a bit scary. Now I know a lot more about them, and I can confirm that they are indeed scary. Brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other type of cancer, and only 12% of brain tumour patients live more than five years after diagnosis.
Despite this, less than 2% of cancer funding in the UK goes towards brain tumour research.
Learning this, and seeing Andy's life taken from him too soon by this disease, inspired me to get more directly involved in the push for better treatment. Although I didn't work in science at the time, I had a scientific background, and shortly after Andy died I decided to take a break from work and study for an MSc in cancer research. I now want to take my research further, so am quitting my job and taking on the challenge of a PhD.
As I mentioned, funding for research into brain tumours is limited, so I have not managed to find a funded PhD position. So I am turning to you to help me achieve my dream, honour Andy's memory, and hopefully provide hope to future brain tumour patients and their families.
Below, I've tried to answer some questions you may have before you donate.
What does the PhD involve?
The project I will be carrying out for my PhD will be investigating metabolic therapies for DIPG, a type of paediatric brain tumour for which there is currently no treatment. Children with this type of tumour survive on average just 10 months from the time they are diagnosed. I will be based at the Brain Tumour Centre of Excellence at Imperial College led by Mr Kevin O'Neill and Dr Nelofer Syed, who will be supervising my project. The centre is funded by Brain Tumour Research and the Brain Tumour Research Campaign. The Centre is doing groundbreaking work into new therapies for hard-to-treat cancers, and I am very excited about joining it and being part of their work. You can read more about Dr Syed's work here.
What is your background?
I have a BSc from the University of Nottingham, and after Andy died and I decided to pursue brain cancer research, I undertook an MSc in Cancer at Queen Mary, University of London, which I completed with a Distinction.
How did you work out your target?
My target of £122,070 is based on the following costs:
University fees - £6,690 per year x 3 years = £20,070
Bench fees (use of lab, equipment, consumables etc - this is an estimate as these costs will change depending on my research) - £10,000 per year = £30,000.
Personal/family living costs - because I won't have a paid job and therefore any income for three years (mortgage, bills, food, clothing, childcare etc) - £2,000 per month x 36 months = £72,000.
This represents what a standard funded PhD position would usually cover.
A note on funding applications
£120,000 is a lot of money and I am not expecting to raise it all from this crowdfunder (though if I do, that would be amazing). Because of this, once I have started my course, I will also be applying for funding from standard research funding bodies. If I am successful in my application at any point and the total of my crowdfunding plus research funding exceeds the total target stated above, any excess will be donated directly to the research funding body.