Istead Rise dad runs to help The Brain Tumour Charity
An Istead Rise dad is embarking on gruelling runs to help raise funds for research into a rare tumour which took the life of his son last year
Luke Staples, who lives in Istead Rise, will run the London Royal Parks Half Marathon in October 2023 and the TCS London Marathon in April 2024.
Luke is running the events to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of his son Zac, who tragically passed away from a brain tumour in April 2022.
In March 2021, Zac was diagnosed with an Embryonal Tumour with Multilayered Rosettes (ETMR) at the age of three.
After intensive treatments which Zac valiantly battled through, on New Years Eve 2021 his tumours had returned.
Zac’s parents agreed to try a different form of chemotherapy treatment to help slow down the growth of the tumour. Unfortunately the treatment had no effect, and they made the heartbreaking decision to stop treatment. Zac passed away in his parents’ arms on 12 April last year aged just four.
An ETMR is an extremely rare form of brain cancer with 92% of cases affecting children under the age of three, and a five‐year survival rate of up to 30%.
Only in recent years have ETMRs been recognised as a distinct disease, and it has not been extensively studied.
In Zac’s memory, Luke is running the marathons to share awareness of the disease and fund research into ETMRs.
Donations to Luke’s JustGiving page will go towards The Brain Tumour Charity, which is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.
Luke, who works as a project surveyor at UK Power Networks in Southwark, London, has recently completed the London Big Half Marathon and a series of 10-kilometre events to get race-ready for October and April next year. Luke’s stepson has also completed his own running event raising funds for a local charity which helped Zac during his various treatments.
Luke said: “I had always been a positive person but after we lost Zac to this terrible disease, both my mental and physical health suffered badly. Running these events for The Brain Tumour Charity has given me a new drive, apart from seeing the benefit to both my physical and mental health, I want to raise as many donations as possible to help fund the vital research required to help stop families having to go through what we did as a family.”
You can donate to Luke’s campaign on JustGiving: https://www.justgiving.com/page/luke-staples-1688062301769.
Published: 13/09/23
Luke Staples, who lives in Istead Rise, will run the London Royal Parks Half Marathon in October 2023 and the TCS London Marathon in April 2024.
Luke is running the events to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of his son Zac, who tragically passed away from a brain tumour in April 2022.
In March 2021, Zac was diagnosed with an Embryonal Tumour with Multilayered Rosettes (ETMR) at the age of three.
After intensive treatments which Zac valiantly battled through, on New Years Eve 2021 his tumours had returned.
Zac’s parents agreed to try a different form of chemotherapy treatment to help slow down the growth of the tumour. Unfortunately the treatment had no effect, and they made the heartbreaking decision to stop treatment. Zac passed away in his parents’ arms on 12 April last year aged just four.
An ETMR is an extremely rare form of brain cancer with 92% of cases affecting children under the age of three, and a five‐year survival rate of up to 30%.
Only in recent years have ETMRs been recognised as a distinct disease, and it has not been extensively studied.
In Zac’s memory, Luke is running the marathons to share awareness of the disease and fund research into ETMRs.
Donations to Luke’s JustGiving page will go towards The Brain Tumour Charity, which is the world's leading brain tumour charity and the largest dedicated funder of research into brain tumours globally.
Luke, who works as a project surveyor at UK Power Networks in Southwark, London, has recently completed the London Big Half Marathon and a series of 10-kilometre events to get race-ready for October and April next year. Luke’s stepson has also completed his own running event raising funds for a local charity which helped Zac during his various treatments.
Luke said: “I had always been a positive person but after we lost Zac to this terrible disease, both my mental and physical health suffered badly. Running these events for The Brain Tumour Charity has given me a new drive, apart from seeing the benefit to both my physical and mental health, I want to raise as many donations as possible to help fund the vital research required to help stop families having to go through what we did as a family.”
You can donate to Luke’s campaign on JustGiving: https://www.justgiving.com/page/luke-staples-1688062301769.
Published: 13/09/23