Bath Half Marathon for Sarah Ogilvie

Clodagh & Alix are running the Bath Half Marathon on Sunday 15th of October. We are running in support of one of our lovely friends, a fellow Mum of three boys at school with our children.

Sarah's story: On 13th March 2023, Sarah went to A&E thinking she might have meningitis, but the MRI scan revealed significant abnormalities and swelling on her brain. Following a biopsy and after a very agonising wait, she received the shocking news that she has an aggressive brain tumour, known as a high-grade astrocytoma. Sarah has only just turned 40 and has three young boys, the same age as my children (12, 10 & 7) and so as you can imagine, the news has rocked their worlds. Sadly, the prognosis for anyone with high-grade astrocytoma isn’t good. For further information see: https://www.thebraintumourcharity.org/brain-tumour-diagnosis-treatment/types-of-brain-tumour-adult/astrocytoma/

Concerningly, the current treatment available for aggressive tumours on the NHS is limited compared to many other countries, and the offer is sadly dependent on where you live. There are, however, nine NHS hospital brain tumour centres in the UK that are recognised as centres for excellence, which provide excellent clinical practice, access to clinical trials and the latest treatments, and which have an emphasis on patient quality of life, which is so important with a terminal diagnosis.

Sarah has linked with the London Centre, though the only way to access their treatment pathway is through private funding as the local NHS is swamped. The private pathway comes with a hefty price tag. We are therefore looking to raise funding to enable Sarah to receive the best possible care for this horrible disease. This will help give Sarah more time and really importantly provide her with a better quality of life so that she can focus on making memories with Simon and her three boys. For us, the target for 2023 will be to slow down cancer progression and to access treatments that support Sarah’s quality of life.

Speed is of the essence as these tumours are sadly very aggressive and grow fast. Please help us to get Sarah the best available treatment so that she can have as much time as possible with her boys to make memories. Sarah has dedicated her career to working in the NHS and local authorities in Public Health, leading on the covid pandemic response for Public Health Devon for the last three years. She has spent her life helping others, now is the time to help her and her family get the best possible care she so deserves.