Portsmouth man who had testicular cancer and now has terminal brain tumour 'proud' to 'do bit' to try and find cure to 'horrible disease'

Cosham-based Dan Braiden, 32, visited the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London on Tuesday with with his parents Michelle and Shane to place a tile on the Wall of Hope in recognition of his fundraising for the charity.

Having survived testicular cancer, Dan, a developer at The Insurance Factory in Portsmouth, was diagnosed 18 months later, in December 2019, with a glioblastoma GBM brain tumour, which has an average survival time of just 12 to 18 months.

He underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy and the tumour remained stable until March 2021 when a scan revealed regrowth and Dan had more chemotherapy.

In May 2021, whilst still undergoing treatment, Dan and his dad Shane achieved an incredible double ascent and descent of Snowdon within a 24-hour period, raising more than £2,500 for Brain Tumour Research.

Dan, Shane and Michelle were among a select group of supporters given the opportunity to tour the labs led by principal investigator professor Silvia Marino, and speak to scientists about their work to find a cure for the disease and specifically GBM tumours, before placing a tile on the Wall of Hope.

Each tile placed on the Wall represented the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research and celebrates the fundraising achievements of the family or supporter involved.

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.

Dan said: ‘It was a horrible blow to hear the tumour had come back and a complete shock because I hadn’t experienced any symptoms.

‘Visiting the research centre at Queen Mary and talking to scientists working to find better outcomes for brain tumour patients and ultimately a cure was a very interesting and rewarding experience, even if their findings will be too late for me. I am proud that I have done my bit to help make a difference for future families affected by this horrible disease.’

Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: ‘We’re really grateful to Dan and his family for their support and hope they inspire others to fundraise for Brain Tumour Research.

‘Dan’s story reminds us that just 12.5 per cent of those diagnosed with a brain tumour survive beyond five years compared with an average of 50 per cent across all cancers. We cannot allow this desperate situation to continue. Brain Tumour Research is determined to change outcomes for brain tumour patients and ultimately find a cure.’

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and find a cure.

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

SEE ALSO: Pensioner with cancer hopes to raise smile

To find out more about Sponsoring a Day of research go to www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise/sponsor-a-day

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Subscribe here for unlimited access to all our coverage, including Pompey, for just 26p a day.