Grief-stricken husband from Luton completes Walk of Hope in wife’s memory

A man whose “much-loved” wife died months after being diagnosed with a brain tumour has taken part in a charity walk days after what would have been their 34th wedding anniversary.

Graeme Bradley, from Luton, Bedfordshire, was among hundreds of walkers dressed in pink at the annual Brain Tumour Research Luton Walk of Hope in Wardown Park on Saturday.

Joined by his son Jordan, daughter Romy, son-in-law Taylor and half a dozen friends, he completed the 5km walk in memory of his late wife Sharon.

Sharon, who also had about 20 work colleagues take part in the walk, was diagnosed with a brain tumour, later identified as a diffuse midline glioma, in December last year.

Initially prescribed tablets for low folate levels after visiting her GP in November complaining of wobbly legs, she then began to experience failing eyesight, left-sided facial paralysis and difficulty swallowing and was suspected of having Bell’s Palsy or multiple sclerosis (MS). An MRI scan revealed the truth, however.

Sharon, who was PA to the headteacher of Luton’s Cardinal Newman Catholic School, was given just six months to live due to a mutation identified in her tumour.

Following a biopsy, Sharon underwent six weeks of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and had just started a further course of chemo when she passed away in April, aged 61.

Graeme, a self-employed mortgage broker, said: “It was a very steep learning curve. Prior to this Sharon was full of life. She was a very energetic person, couldn’t sit still for long and always had to have something to do. She had a great eye for design, was super organised and passionate about everything; cooking and entertaining, her job, the people she worked with and, above all, her family.

“She loved reading and listening to music and was very glamorous. Her wardrobe was full to bursting with designer clothes and shoes, and I never saw her look anything other than immaculate.

“Our daughter Romy’s wedding took place in December. Sharon wasn’t well but she was able to enjoy the day, which she had been heavily involved in planning and was really looking forward to. Following the wedding her symptoms worsened very quickly. She started to wear an eye-patch to help with her failing vision and she had trouble walking, which meant we had to get her a wheelchair.”

He added: “Sharon was much loved and had so much to live for. Her illness was horrific and the treatment was gruelling, for her and for everybody who loved her, but it was, mercifully, short.”

The Luton Walk of Hope was organised in memory of four young people who have died from brain tumours; Amani Liaquat, from Luton, who died in February 2022, aged 23; George Fox, from Barton-le-Clay, who passed away at the age of 13 in April 2022; Shay Patel, from Woburn sands, who died in September 2020, aged 13; and Renai Taylor-Fraser, from Luton, who was 11 when she passed away in August 2022.

Graeme, 58, said: “I didn’t really know what to expect so it was all a pleasant surprise. I was very impressed by how well organised the event was and I found the Rock Choir at the start very moving, as was the ‘angel wall’ which displayed the ages of some of the kids and adults who have died from this horrid disease. I found it very emotional because it’s the first fundraiser I’ve been involved in and Sharon only died five months ago but overall I left feeling uplifted and thinking ‘maybe we can do something’.”

He added: “I realise things now because of the learning curve I’ve been on this past year, like the fact brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and young people under 40 and yet only 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to the disease since records began in 2002. I didn’t know that before and it’s motivating me to try and do something about it. Being involved in events like this and raising awareness is so important. I feel like I need to do something to turn this negative into a positive.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Sharon’s story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any age. They kill more children than leukaemia, more women under 35 than breast cancer and more men under 70 than prostate cancer. We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure. We’re really grateful to Graeme, and his friends and family, for supporting our work by taking part in this Walk of Hope. Together we will find a cure.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia.

To support Graeme’s fundraising, visit www.justgiving.com/page/graeme-bradley.