Both mine (the Mucklows) and my partner’s family (the Tippins) are all
taking part in the Annual 10K Santa Fun Run in London on December 9th in aid of supporting the Brain Tumour Research Charity. This is to raise money and awareness for the work they do, a charity that needs a lot of help and support.

This is the link to our Just Giving / Do it for Charity Fund Raising page – any donations you can make to this will help invaluably to their work and ultimately to people living with a Brain Tumour:

http://www.doitforcharity.com/SamsSuperSantas

3 years ago I was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour. This is my story below, if you could take a few minutes to read it, I would very much appreciate it...

In October 2009 I was rugby training at Camp Hill RFC and suffered a head injury. 2 nights later due to this concussion I had a seizure and on admittance to hospital following CT / MRI scans was diagnosed with a Brain Tumour. Following further consultation it was decided that I
would undergo brain surgery to de-baulk the tumour (it is never possible to completely remove a brain tumour). The operation was a success and recovered well. Following on from the operation I underwent 6 monthly MRI scans to monitor this condition.

I received a set back on my August 2012 MRI scan. An area near to the
original sight had shown tumour growth. In September 2012 I had to undergo a second round of brain surgery to remove the tumour again. I have again recovered well and now in the process of undergoing a 6 week course of Radiotherapy to stop the tumour growing back. This treatment will finish on Christmas Eve and 6 monthly MRI scans will continue.

This has been a tough thing emotionally both for myself and for my family to go through with this being a condition I have to live for the rest of my life. In some respects I do however feel quite lucky that this was found before it caused me any symptoms or problems. I was living a normal healthy life just like the next person and the treatment I have received at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham will help me to continue to do this. A lot of other people who have Brain Tumours are not so lucky.

One of the main problems we face with Brain Tumours is being able to provide early diagnosis of the condition. We could then provide the best possible and appropriate treatment so that people can live a normal life.

If you could please click on the link below and read through the thoughts of a number of celebrities (Russell Watson, Martin Kemp amongst others) who have experienced a Brain Tumour themselves or to someone close to them. I am sure it will compound the message I am trying to get across. We need to support this charity and the people who live with this illness.

http://www.braintumourresearch.org/celebrity-quotes

Thank you for your time it is very much appreciated.

Best Wishes,

Sam Mucklow