Brain tumour patients and people who have lost a loved one to the disease are sharing their stories in a hard-hitting campaign from charity Brain Tumour Research.
Stop the Devastation is raising awareness of brain tumours, exposing the history of underfunding for research into the disease, and encouraging people to donate to help find a cure.
Stars of the campaign include: :
- Dad-of-two Sam Suriakumar, 36, from Worcester Park, Sutton, who is living with an inoperable form of the disease
- Eddie Ruggiero, 32, from Bedford, who contracted a life-threatening infection after surgery to remove a tumour
- Amani Liaquat, from Luton, who was diagnosed with an aggressive form of the disease on her 22nd birthday last year
- Shaz Hetherington, 44, from Woodford Green, Essex, who lost her husband David, aged 39, with their children Layla, nine, and Daniel, seven
- Niki O’Dea Patel, 40, Woburn Sands, Buckinghamshire, who knows the pain of child loss; her son Shay was just 13 when he died in September 2020
In sharing their stories, the patients, families and friends reveal that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. Despite this, historically, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. And, tragically, 88% of those diagnosed die within five years.
The charity has worked with the London-based creative agency bandstand to produce the campaign materials which include a 30-second film together with three 15-second cut-downs for social media. These will be supported by an integrated social campaign titled #NoMore which is encouraging mass participation with people sharing a selfie of their “stop hand”, donating £5 and tagging five friends.
Hugh Adams, Head of Stakeholder Relations, at Brain Tumour Research, said:
Stop the Devastation lays bare the powerful and painful truth about brain tumours – they are indiscriminate, they can affect anyone at any age, there is no cure and for many, sadly, there is little or no hope.
“Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this through creating awareness of the horrifying statistics, by funding research at its Centres of Excellence and through its continued lobbying of the Government and the larger cancer charities to increase the national spend.
Watch the #StopTheDevastation campaign film below:
For more information, go to: https://www.braintumourresearch.org/stop-the-devastation.