Tom Daley to front television appeal for brain tumour charity

Tom Daley will present a television appeal to promote the work of The Brain Tumour Charity.

The film will be broadcast on Sunday 23 July at 5pm on BBC One and will present the work done by the charity, which supports people living with a brain tumour, and their families, as well as funding research to finding a cure.

“I lost my dad to a brain tumour six years ago,” Tom says. “He was my biggest supporter but he didn’t live to see me dive in the London Olympics in 2012.

“The Brain Tumour Charity is doing so much to change the future for people like my dad – funding research to find a cure as well as raising awareness of the disease and its impact.

“Through its HeadSmart campaign, the charity has helped to make sure children with brain tumours are diagnosed more quickly than before. That’s saving lives and preventing some of the long-term health problems brain tumours can cause in children.

“Now the charity wants to do the same for adults, for the sake of every single family affected by a brain tumour.”

Tom’s family has been supported directly by the charity and Tom continues to support their work and campaigns.

Also featuring in the film is Angela Conway from Northumberland. She was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2015 aged 21 while studying at Edinburgh University.

Angela has become a staunch campaigner for HeadSmart. “It was brilliant to be involved in the filming of Lifeline, taking a look at the impact of the HeadSmart campaign,” she said.

“As brain tumour patients ourselves, my friend Natalie and I both know first-hand the importance of diagnosis times, and so we distribute HeadSmart cards wherever we can: at local GPs, pharmacies and opticians.

“Through seeing our story and also [six-year-old] Daniel’s example of HeadSmart cards leading to a diagnosis, we’re hoping to raise the profile of just how effective the campaign really is.”

Sarah Lindsell, The Brain Tumour Charity’s chief executive, said: “We receive no government funding and rely 100% on voluntary donations and gifts in wills, so it’s only through the efforts of our incredible community of supporters nationwide that we can work towards our twin goals of doubling survival and halving the harm caused by brain tumours.

“Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and people under 40 in the UK and survival rates have not improved significantly over the last 40 years.

“This must change.”

Find out more about The Brain Tumour Charity on their official website.

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