THE daughter of a Foulridge farmer who died from a brain tumour at Christmas will join a lobby of Parliament today to ask MPs to help raise awareness about tumours and get the Government to do more in the fight against brain tumours.
Rachel Wilson, whose father Andrew died only four months after diagnosis of a high grade inoperable tumour, will be among around 200 patients, carers, scientists and doctors on the mass lobby to tell MPs that brain tumours are not getting priority they deserve.
Rachel (28), who is now office manager for Brain Tumour Research and Support in Leeds, will meet Pendle MP Andrew Stephenson at Westminster and said: “We are calling on MPs not to forget brain tumours and to do what they can to ensure that a fairer, more proportionate amount of research spend is devoted to brain tumour research and that under the new NHS structures, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence’s best practice guidance is finally implemented and that health workers are given the support they need to make prompt, accurate diagnosis of brain tumours.
“It is only by making advances in all three of these areas outcomes for people with brain tumours will start to improve. The first step in doing this is to get MPs and Government to understand just how many people are affected by brain tumours.”
Today’s lobby will encourage MPs to pledge to sign an Early Day Motion, sign an e-petition, and to do more to promote awareness of brain tumours in their constituencies and to participate in meetings of the All Party Brain Tumour Group.