A BEREAVED family is starring in a campaign to help find a cure for brain tumours.
Malcolm and Caroline Boyd, from Wellesbourne, and their children Juliet, nine, and Noah, seven, are taking centre stage during Brain Tumour Awareness Month this March.
The family know all too well the devastation brain tumours can cause, following the death of Malcolm’s father to the disease four years ago.
Arthur Boyd, from County Down, died just six months after his diagnosis with a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) – a highly aggressive type of tumour – aged 69.
Malcolm, a 39-year-old design engineer at DCA Design International, a product design consultancy based in Warwick, said: “I can’t put into words how much dad meant to my family; he was a rock, always there. In some ways, it feels like forever since he died, but in other ways it feels like yesterday.
“Noah was just three years old when Dad passed away and it makes me sad to think of all the happy memories dad will miss out on. He would have loved to see his grandchildren grow up.
“Through my work, I help design medical devices, including some radiotherapy equipment. It is rewarding and comforting to know I am playing a small part in helping others. I want to do all I can to raise awareness and vital funds for research into brain tumours to prevent others experiencing the heartbreak that my family has faced.”
The Boyds have joined other families across the UK whose images are being seen across the country as the marketing campaign is launched for Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
The month culminates in Wear A Hat Day on Friday 27 March. Now in its 11th year, Wear A Hat Day has raised more than £1.25million to help fund the fight against the disease.
In April 2020, Malcolm will be running the Money London Marathon in aid of Brain Tumour Research.
He added: “My grief comes in waves. It isn’t a linear process and sometimes it can hit me out of the blue. Running has helped me through tough times in dealing with the loss of my dad and gives me an opportunity make a difference.
“Having taken part in a number of fundraisers for Brain Tumour Research, including a 100-mile ultra marathon the year after dad died, I’m excited for this next challenge. I want to complete the marathon as quickly as possible, rather than just make it past the finish line. I am hoping to raise £3,900 to help fund the fight against the disease.”
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, historically, just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
Brain Tumour Research is the only national charity in the UK singularly focused on finding a cure for brain tumours through campaigning for an increase in the national investment into research to £35 million per year. It is also fundraising to create a sustainable network of brain tumour research centres in the UK.
Visit www.justgiving.com/londonmarathon-beatcancer top sponsor Malcolm and #WearAHatDay #BrainTumourAwarenessMonth for more on Brain Tumor Awareness Month.
The Boyds are helping the push to find a cure for brain tumours.
Malcolm and his late dad Arthur, who died just six months after his diagnosis.
