A Suffolk woman who is living with a brain tumour has raised nearly £30,000 to fund research after her life was turned upside down by cancer ten years ago.
Susie McKeever, 56, from Newmarket, was diagnosed in September 2008 after experiencing an epileptic fit.
She initially had surgery to remove the tumour but it has twice regrown, most recently in July of this year.
Susie, who works as a bloodstock agent in the horse racing industry, is currently undergoing chemotherapy but is determined to raise awareness and funds through a charity walk.
Susie will take part in The Brain Tumour Charity’s Twilight Walk with brother Nick in Warwick on September 30 – a 10k walk which will unite hundreds of people of all ages whose lives have been touched by a brain tumour diagnosis.
Susie has already raised nearly £30,000 of a £50,000 target, with many well-known figures from the horse racing world making donations via her JustGiving page.
She said: “Shortly after being diagnosed I had surgery to remove the tumour and then in 2012, I had chemotherapy as the tumour had re-grown.
“However, since then - although at times I struggle with my memory and tiredness - I have been able to live life to the full and had hoped to have put all of it behind me.
“So it came as a bit of a shock when in July I was told that the tumour was growing again.
“Rather than sitting at home being miserable and twiddling my thumbs, I have decided to do something positive and to get up and make a difference.”
Susie added that she was committed to supporting the charity.
“The Brain Tumour Charity is an amazing charity and they fund pioneering research into treatments for brain tumours,” she said.
“The disease area is really underfunded and I felt I needed to raise funds and awareness.
“Hopefully in the future I will get more involved with the charity and I plan to leave them a gift in my will.”
Geraldine Pipping, director of fundraising for The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Susie and Nick for supporting The Brain Tumour Charity.
“The Twilight Walk unites our community and helps to show people affected by brain tumours that they are not alone.
“We receive no government funding and rely 100% on voluntary donations and gifts in wills so it’s only through the efforts of our fantastic fundraisers that we can bring hope to the thousands of people who are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year.”
Anyone wishing to make a donation to support Susie’s fundraising can visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/susie-mckeever
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