A MERIDEN woman who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour will be taking on the Sahara desert as she continues her mission to raise thousands of pounds to help find a cure for the deadly disease.
Hannah King-Page was diagnosed with a glioblastoma – a fast-growing brain tumour with an average survival prognosis of 12 to 18 months, aged 38, in November 2020.
She had surgery at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire (UHCW) to remove up to half of the tumour, but Hannah struggled afterwards with acute right-sided weakness.
She had to relearn to walk, sit up, write and speak properly.
It also meant Hannah had to retire on the grounds of ill-health from her much-loved job as a physiotherapist.
Knowing that her future was limited, Hannah vowed to help make a difference for patients diagnosed with brain cancer in the future, leading her to set up Hannah’s Kingdom, a Fundraising Group under the umbrella of the charity Brain Tumour Research, which has raised a total of more than £22,000 to date.
Along with her cousin Sarah Martin from Bristol, who is a nurse at Bristol Royal Infirmary, Hannah is embarking on her most ambitious fundraiser yet – a 50km trek across the Sahara Desert in March.
The four-day challenge, starting on March 27, will see Hannah, Sarah and 14 others, each with personal connections to brain tumours, brave the desert’s extreme heat, sand dunes and long, gruelling days without basic comforts like beds, showers or toilets.
Hannah said: “It’s bittersweet approaching the fifth anniversary of my diagnosis later this year, knowing that just five per cent of patients with a glioblastoma survive that long.
“I know I’m living on borrowed time and I have to cope with survivor guilt, having connected with quite a few people, especially on social media, who sadly haven’t lived beyond 18 months.
“Taking on this challenge with Sarah by my side is exciting and comforting. She is like a sister to me and has been a massive support ever since I was diagnosed after experiencing seizures.
“Taking on the Sahara challenge without showers, running water or toilets will be like a festival and a trek rolled into one, but without the parties, bands or booze! Just wet wipes, a campfire and the stars!
“I am determined to do all I can to make a difference – treatments for brain tumours, including glioblastoma, haven’t changed for decades.”
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.
Louise Aubrey, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “This trek is the latest chapter in Hannah’s mission to raise awareness about brain tumours, while funding research to find a cure. We are incredibly grateful for her dedication and for how she inspires others to get involved.”
For more or to donate to Hannah’s JustGiving page click here.
Or to Sarah’s click here.
