The aunt of a Co Derry 12-year-old girl with a brain tumour is doing a hundred sit-ups every day throughout November to help raise awareness and funds to find a cure for the disease.
Limavady schoolgirl Ava McSparron, was told in February this year “her life would never be the same again”.
Diagnosed with an astrocytoma brain tumour, she underwent an eight-hour life-saving operation in which her optic nerve was damaged, leaving her blind in one eye and with just 20% of her eyesight.
Wanting to raise awareness of the condition and to help fundraising to find a cure for the disease, Ava’s aunt, Katrina McFeeley has vowed to do 100 sit-ups a day during November to raise vital funds for Brain Tumour Research.
“When we were told Ava had a large tumour on her brain, it was a big, big shock. We knew nothing about brain tumours and thought she was going to die. It was absolutely horrific.”
The statistics are stark. Brain tumours kill more children than leukaemia, more women under 35 than breast cancer and more men under 70 than prostate cancer.
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In the UK, 16,000 people each year are diagnosed with a brain tumour, yet, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
Ava started to get unwell towards the end of last year, increasingly being sick every morning.
“We all thought she was anxious because of upcoming school tests,” recalls Katrina.
But after visits to her GP, optician and A&E, Ava’s mother’s concerns were “basically dismissed”.
“Sharon pleaded with the hospital for an MRI scan but there was a five-month wait. Then, in February 2023, Ava said she was struggling to see the blackboard at school; she went to a different optician who immediately saw something wasn’t right.
“He sent Ava to Altnagelvin Area Hospital as a medical emergency. She had an MRI scan; 20 minutes later we received the shocking news she had a brain tumour. The consultant told us Ava’s life would never be the same again.”
Ava was sent to the Royal Victoria Hospital (RVI) in Belfast to have the tumour removed. However, despite losing the majority of her sight, the determined 12-year-old started at St Mary’s High School in Limavady in September.
“She loves it there and she’s really thriving; she’s an amazing girl. If Ava can go through all that she has, then I can do a hundred sit-ups a day.
“I’ve got so much admiration for Ava’s mum and dad, Sharon and Owen, and other families who are dealing with this devastating disease,” adds Katrina.
As well as carrying out research into a cure for all types of brain tumours, Brain Tumour Research is campaigning for the government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients.
“The low level of funding is ridiculous, so if something good comes out of this, it’s worth it,” said Katrina, about her 100 a Day, Your Way in November Challenge.
You can donate to Katrina’s fundraising page here
