London Marathon 2025

My name is Emma, I am a secondary school teacher from Grangemouth and I am sharing with you my reason for fundraising for the Brain Tumour Research Charity. Tragically in January 2024 my cousin’s beautiful little girl was diagnosed with a very rare, inoperable and incurable brain tumour named DIPG (Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma). Arya is only 3 years old and is now enduring the biggest fight of her life to spend as long as she can with her family.

The family and local community have raised over £55,000 a staggering amount of money, to allow my cousin to purchase a trial drug from Germany which is keeping Arya healthy and allowing the family to make valuable memories together. Sadly, though 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.

I know that there is nothing I can do to save my cousin from having to endure a pain no parent should ever experience so I have decided to raise as much money as possible in Arya’s name. I would like her to be recognised as one of the charities main fundraisers, a legacy that cannot be taken from her or her parents. My goal is that within this legacy Arya can play a vital role in providing the much-needed funds to find a cure for this horrible disease and prevent any other children having to suffer what she, and her whole family, currently are.