Mum's skydive for brain tumour charity to help children's rehabilitation

A Member Charity of Brain Tumour Research, Anna’s Hope also funds research into the causes, treatment and cure of childhood brain tumours. The charity was set up in 2006 by the parents of Anna Hughes, Carole and Rob (who is chair of Brain Tumour Research’s board of trustees), to create a legacy for their daughter after the three-year-old passed away, 15 months after diagnosis with a brain tumour. Anna had undergone an eight-hour operation to remove the tumour, as well as an intensive chemotherapy programme at Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge, but nothing could save her.

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

Carole said: “Before we knew Anna was going to die, Rob and I vowed that we would try our best in the future to help children with brain tumours, to try to improve their chances of survival and support their rehabilitation.”

Kelly, a volunteer for Age UK in Werrington, is no stranger to thrill-seeking challenges, having previously completed charity skydives and bungee jumps, as well as aerobatics.

After meeting Carole when she, her husband Phil and three sons, Kian, Gavin and Ieuan, were taking part in park run in Central Park, Peterborough, Kelly was motivated to leap out of a plane to raise funds for Anna’s Hope.

Kelly said: “Phil was diagnosed with an optic nerve brain tumour when he was just four years old, which led to him losing his sight in one eye and half his sight in the other. Meeting Carole and hearing how she had lost her three-year-old daughter really resonated with us as we know how lucky we are that Phil has survived, albeit without most of his sight. The fact that she and Rob have set up a successful charity, helping children with their rehabilitation after gruelling surgery and treatment is so inspiring.

Kelly said: “The sky dive was amazing. I’m so proud to have raised more than £450 for Anna’s Hope to help support children diagnosed with brain tumours and their families.”

Rob said: “We’re really grateful to Kelly for taking on a skydive and choosing to support Anna’s Hope. The funds she has raised will help support specialist neuro rehabilitation at Addenbrooke’s Hospital helping children regain their mobility, speech and confidence.”

Anna’s Hope is a founding partner of a pioneering new service called Brainbow at Addenbrooke’s Hospital with the Anna’s Hope Therapy Team consisting of specialist physiotherapists, specialist speech and language therapists and a specialist occupational therapist. Every child in the East of England diagnosed with a brain tumour can receive dedicated neuro rehabilitation from this service to help them reach their full potential in life.

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

It's not too late to sponsor Kelly, go to www.justgiving.com/page/kerry-hall