Owen Sutton BCAv — The Courage That Rose from Seizures and Loss
At twenty, Owen Sutton was the picture of a young man with the world ahead of him, studying product design at Nottingham Trent University, training for a marathon with friends and laughing through the ordinary chaos of student life. Then the small, nagging symptoms he had dismissed as overwork revealed themselves on an MRI. A grade 1 pilocytic astrocytoma: a slow-growing tumour nestled where his head meets his spine. In the consultation room his parents collapsed into tears; his father, a man Owen had never seen cry, broke down completely. The diagnosis was only the beginning of the descent.
Jason Longmate — Treatment in India
Jason Longmate, 52, was diagnosed with an inoperable glioblastoma in October 2025. From February to May 2026, he underwent treatment in India.
I meet Jason and his wife Ellen over Zoom from their home in Nottinghamshire, on a rainy June morning. Their story starts all too familiarly. After experiencing sudden problems with one eye, Jason was referred to a stroke clinic, where, devastatingly, he found out he had a brain tumour. Heart-stopping news in any circumstances, it was the way in which it was delivered that has stayed with them most vividly: ‘the good news is you have a brain. The bad news is you’ve got a brain tumour.’
Chris’ Story
“Fail We May. Sail We Must.”: How One Man Turned a Terminal Diagnosis into a Campaign for Change
Richard’s Story
Joe was a young graduate with his whole future ahead of him when subtle symptoms were repeatedly reassured. A late diagnosis revealed a brain tumour just before Christmas. Days later, his father held his hand as he died. Later that year, his wife was diagnosed with cancer but was treated with care and respect which showed just how real the postcode lottery can be. In Joe’s memory, his family now fundraise for The Brain Tumour Charity, raising over £123,000 to drive awareness and change.