Mayo woman's fundraiser for brain tumour research in tribute to late husband

A MAYO woman who was bereaved by a brain tumour has raised over €4,000 for Brain Tumour Research to help scientists working to find a cure for the devastating disease.

And on Wednesday last, Pauline Connolly from Balla was among a select group of supporters invited to the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London to meet scientists who are working at the forefront of the fight against aggressive glioblastoma (GBM), the type of tumour which took the life of her husband Terry in June 2021.

Her visit came on the day the charity announced Antiques Roadshow expert Theo Burrell as its new patron.

Theo, 37, from East Lothian, was diagnosed with a GBM in June 2022. She underwent life-extending surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

She said: “It took me six months to get my diagnosis. I visited multiple doctors with awful migraines, prolonged sickness and problems with my sight. No-one knew what was wrong and when I finally had a scan, I was told I had brain cancer and, without surgery, had just three months to live.

“I am frustrated that it took so long to get my diagnosis; we need to change that and it’s vital that we raise more awareness of this devastating disease to stop this happening to other families. It’s so important that more money is invested in research in order to improve treatments in future and, ultimately, to find a cure.”

Terry, a father of four, lived in Balla all his life and worked for Baxter Healthcare in Castlebar for 20 years.

In February 2020, Pauline was concerned about Terry’s health, including his inability to stand up, and called an ambulance. When the paramedics arrived, Terry had a seizure so they took him to Mayo University Hospital in Castlebar.

A CT scan revealed a mass on his brain which Pauline said was 'a massive shock' as Terry had been fit and healthy up to this point.

Terry was put on steroids to reduce the pressure in his brain before 10 days later undergoing surgery at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin on a tumour which the couple were told later was a GBM.

Pauline said: “Terry seemed really well after his surgery and was good for a few months after going through his radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment, although he seemed to have a seizure nearly every month which would put him back into hospital for a while. However, in December 2020, I noticed that when Terry was sitting down he was leaning over to one side.”

Terry had another scan which showed progression of the tumour. He was put on steroids which helped for a while. Then in February 2021, Terry started to show more symptoms and didn’t seem to recognise Pauline.

Pauline added: “It was a shock then to hear, after another scan, that the tumour hadn’t grown, but actually shrunk. We were advised to wait a while, but then Terry got Covid and a urinary tract infection (UTI) so we were advised to give his body time to recover.

“Terry was eventually discharged having not started any further treatment, but was unable to walk. He was unrecognisable as the husband and father he had been just 16 months previously when he was first taken ill.

"Terry passed away six weeks later on 12 June, 2021, leaving me and his adoring children Dylan, Grace, Jack and Cian, who were 18, 15, 12 and seven at the time, as well as Terry’s one remaining sibling, Eddie, who now lives in Australia.

“Terry was such a loving husband and father. He particularly enjoyed taking the kids to the football or watching matches on TV - they were all massive Mayo and Liverpool fans.

“I was looking forward to us both being retired, going on holidays and having some time to ourselves.

“We are all heartbroken.”

Just three months after losing Terry, Pauline set up a birthday Facebook fundraiser hoping to raise a hundred or two, but Terry was so loved and respected in the community, Pauline was overwhelmed to find it attracted donations of more than €4,000.

Pauline and daughter Grace, now 18 and doing an arts degree in Limerick, were given the opportunity to tour the labs at Queen Mary University of London, led by principal investigator Professor Silvia Marino.

They spoke to scientists about their work to find a cure for the disease and placed a tile on the Wall of Hope, representative of the £2,740 it costs to fund a day of research.

Pauline said: “I hope the money we raised is life-changing and will help make a difference for everyone going forward who has a brain tumour.

“It is heartening to hear from the scientists about the work being done in their quest to find a cure, which can’t come soon enough.”

Matthew Price, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Pauline for her fundraising and hope that the visit offered a useful insight into all we’re doing to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure.

“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, and more men under the age of 70 than prostate cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002. This has to change.”

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.

To find out more, see https://braintumourresearch.org/.