The mum of a woman who died from a brain tumour is handing over a petition to Downing Street calling for increased Government funding into the devastating disease.

Laura Nuttall died from a glioblastoma (GBM) in May 2023 when she was just 23 years old.

Her mum, Nicola Nuttall, from Barrowford, has been 'horrified' by the statistics around brain tumours and the lack of government investment.

She is being joined by Brain Tumour Research Patrons, Antiques Roadshow expert Theo Burrell and expert garden designer on the BBC’s The Instant Gardener, Danny Clarke, along with a group of dedicated campaigners in handing over the 81,336-strong petition.

It calls for increased investment for research into the devastating disease which kills more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. 

Chief executive of Brain Tumour Research, Dan Knowles said: “Today, we are calling on the Government to ring-fence £110 million of current and new funding to kick-start an increase in the national investment in brain tumour research to £35 million a year by 2028.”

Nicola said: “Laura was passionate about raising awareness and finding a cure.

"It broke her heart every time she heard of another young person diagnosed with a brain tumour.

"It’s eight months since we lost our beautiful daughter, we miss her every minute of every day but I know campaigning for change is what she wanted us to do, so that in the future, other families don’t have to endure the same devastation that we have.”

Lancashire Telegraph:

The charity wants the Government to recognise brain tumour research as a critical priority. It says the increase in research investment would put brain tumours in line with the spend on cancers of breast, bowel and lung, as well as leukaemia.

Theo, 37, mum to Jonah, three, was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM) in June 2022 after suffering from symptoms for six months.

She underwent life-extending surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Her most recent scan, on 8 January 2024, was stable.

She said: “Being told you have an aggressive brain tumour is absolutely terrifying. I visited multiple doctors with awful migraines, prolonged sickness and problems with my sight. 

"No-one knew what was wrong and when I finally had a scan, I was told I had brain cancer and, without surgery, had just three months to live.

“I am frustrated it took so long to get my diagnosis; we need to change that and it’s vital the Government invests more money in research in order to improve treatments in future and, ultimately, to find a cure. The voices of more than 80,000 people cannot be ignored.”

Danny‘s sister Margot McLellan, 52, died from a GBM, two years after being diagnosed, leaving a husband and young daughter.

He said: “Margot underwent surgery; she accepted all the treatment available, including chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

"It seemed to be working and we were told she was stable, but were warned that if the tumour returned, it would be inoperable. When the tumour did come back a year later, Margot had run out of options regarding conventional treatments. 

"Her husband Mark was desperately searching for experimental treatments but nothing worked.

“The Government must do more to improve outcomes for brain tumour patients. Research is the only way to finding a cure, so it needs to allocate more of its cancer funding to this terrible disease.

"I don’t want other patients like Margot to be left with zero treatment options, and endure suffering like she did.”

In a letter accompanying the petition, Dan Knowles said: “In the last 20 years, research spend in the UK on breast cancer has been six times more than brain tumours – and survival rates have doubled.

"Leukaemia has received four times more funding and survival rates have increased six-fold. UK universities deliver world-class research and are poised to make further breakthroughs. 

"Now is the time for the Government to invest in our globally leading research institutions in order to deliver cures.”

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 into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. 

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.