Heartbroken daughter takes on marathon challenge for Brain Tumour Research after dad’s terminal diagnosis

It was September 2021 when Debra and her mother, Cris Watson-Hope, began to notice something was wrong with Ron after he started to forget words when speaking.

Cris, 65, said: “Ron is usually spot-on and remembers everything, so I thought he had Alzheimer’s like his dad. His GP said he was fine, but I knew something wasn’t right. At the start of February (2023), we went to Durham with friends but when Ron woke up in the morning, he had a headache and was being sick.

"On the drive home, he was really ill, and when we got home, he couldn’t get out of the car. When he eventually got into the house, he was so cold, and he was screaming because the pain in his head was so severe.”

Ron was taken to Sunderland Royal Hospital, but was transferred to the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle for an MRI scan which revealed he had a mass on his brain.

He was diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM), an aggressive type of brain tumour, and on February 11 surgeons operated to remove the growth. However, a scan two weeks later revealed some of the tumour remained.

Cris said: “I couldn’t believe it. You don’t expect something like this to be thrown at you. Ron was given two options: have radiotherapy and chemotherapy and live for 12 to 14 months, or don’t have any treatment and live six weeks.

"He chose to have treatment which made him really tired.”

Sadly Ron’s condition has deteriorated and he has been moved to a hospice.

Debra, 41, said: “What dad’s been through is absolutely terrifying. Everything happened so quickly; he’s suddenly gone downhill and has been moved into St Benedict’s Hospice and doesn’t have long left.

"It’s horrible seeing him like this. We’re just watching him die and there’s nothing we can do. It’s heart-breaking.”

Debra has channelled her energy into raising money for the charity Brain Tumour Research by taking part in their Jog 26.2 Miles in May Challenge where participants clock-up their miles across the course of the month.

Debra, from Ryhope, added: “I knew I wanted to do something to raise awareness of this devastating disease and raise vital money to fund research. Dad’s really proud of me for doing this.”

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Runners have an initial fundraising target of £137, which represents 5% of the cost of a day’s research at a Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, with the ultimate aim to find a cure for brain tumours.

Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Debra as it’s only with the support of people like her that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like Ron who are forced to fight this awful disease.”

Debra has set a personal target of £700 and donations can be made via her Facebook page. Visit the Brain Tumour Research website to find out more about taking part in the challenge.