Scots woman raises £80,000 for cancer research following brain tumour diagnosis

A woman who thought she would not live to see her 40th birthday after being diagnosed with a brain tumour seven years ago has helped to raise more than £80,000 to fund research.

Suzanne Davies, from Aberdeen was told she had a stage 4 glioblastoma – an aggressive form of brain cancer – in 2014 and given a year to live.

Since then, Mrs Davies, who is now 42, has defied the odds, and is attempting to raise awareness and funds to help combat the disease.

As the face of Worldwide Cancer Research’s winter appeal, Mrs Davies’s story has led to £84,194 being raised in individual donations.

Mum-of-two Suzanne Davies, who was given just a year to live in 2014 after being diagnosed with aggressive stage four brain tumour, has beaten the odds to still be alive seven years later.

She said her diagnosis was “a really hard time and came from nowhere”.

“I suddenly found myself having vacant moments, where I couldn’t hear, speak or even breathe,” she said.

“When the doctors told me I had a tumour the size of a golf ball in my brain and that I’d only have a year to live, I had my two children and husband to think about.”

Mrs Davies added: “I’m so thankful for research and for the treatments, surgery advances and drugs that were and are available to me. I didn’t think I’d get to see my 40th birthday, let alone see my sister get married and have children of her own.

“Any research that can help us get closer to cures, clinical trials and everything in between is incredible. The fact it’s a charity close to home starting the research across the world makes it even more incredible.

“I want to be a grandma and to be able to live my life like I should be able to. And thanks to charities like Worldwide Cancer Research, I might be able to.”

Worldwide Cancer Research said just 5% of people will survive for five years or more after a glioblastoma diagnosis.

The funds raised through the appeal will support more than 3,500 hours of research aimed at finding new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer, the Scottish charity said.

Dr Helen Rippon, chief executive at Worldwide Cancer Research, said: “We’d like to say a massive thank you to Suzanne for fronting this campaign, and helping us raise over £80,000 towards cancer research, helping us continue to make our ground-breaking research possible.”

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