Devon woman living with a brain tumour planning a swimming floral fundraiser to help find a cure

A woman living with life-changing consequences after being diagnosed with a brain tumour is planning to take part in a charity floral fundraiser while sea swimming.

Heather Turner, 49, from Brixham was 24 when she was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma, a low-grade brain tumour. Following surgery, during which she nearly died and suffered severe nerve damage, she has been left with facial palsy and is deaf and blind on the right side. Heather is now working with the charity Brain Tumour Research to raise awareness of the need for more effective treatments and to find a cure and is fundraising to help support the research.

Heather said: “It took me 10 years to recover from the damage caused by surgery to remove my brain tumour and I have lost count of the number of operations I have had to make me look ‘normal’. Swimming was the only thing that came back naturally – I had to learn how to walk and even eat again.

“My lop-sided face and problems with balance led many people to assume that I was drunk.

“Three years ago, I took up open water swimming. The first time was in March when I have since found the sea is at its coldest. It was so painful it took me five attempts to get in, but since then I haven’t looked back. Amazingly the body soon adapts to the cold and warms up. I find it quite empowering and love being in nature.”

Heather is taking part in Brain Tumour Research’s Wear A Hat Day with Flowers which takes place on Friday 18 June during British Flowers Week.  The charity is encouraging people to don their best floral hat creations, from petalled panamas to blooming berets, flowery fedoras to botanical beanies, and get together – virtually or in person – to raise funds to help find a cure.

Heather and around 20 friends will don their floral hats and swim together in the sea near Brixham and will be asking people to make a donation.

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease. Scientists at Brain Tumour Research’s Centres of Excellence, including one within the University of Plymouth, are striving to accelerate the journey to find a cure.

Melanie Tiley, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research said: “Wear A Hat Day with Flowers is back for a second year by popular demand and is the perfect way for people to bring friends, work colleagues or loved ones together and celebrate, whilst raising funds to help find a cure for brain tumours.

“We are really grateful to Heather and her friends for their swimmingly good support! Increased investment in research is vital if we are to improve outcomes for patients.

“Please join the Wear A Hat Day with Flowers fun and help us get closer to cure.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns 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 and, ultimately, to find a cure. The charity is calling 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 and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

Whilst COVID-19 restrictions still apply, the charity is reminding supporters to observe safety measures when planning their events. Families, friends, workplaces and schools can still come together safely, virtually or in-person where restrictions allow, to raise money for this vital cause.

For more information about the floral fundraiser and to register go to www.braintumourresearch.org/fundraise/wear-a-hat-day-with-flowers

To donate to Brain Tumour Research inspired by Heather, go to www.braintumourresearch.org/donation/donate-now and share your reason as Heather Turner or to read Heather’s brain tumour story go to https://www.braintumourresearch.org/stories/in-hope/in-hope-stories/heather-turner