Hampshire boy inspires charity’s ‘largest ever’ donation
Toby’s brain tumour battle prompted extreme fundraising challenge
A Hampshire boy has inspired the largest single donation made to The Brain Tumour Charity for research into childhood brain tumours.
Toby Ritchie, seven, who lives near Romsey, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2013. He endured major surgery and 18 months of chemotherapy, with the prospect of further treatment to come.
Last week Toby’s father Rob – a managing director at Goldman Sachs – was one of a 14-strong team who climbed on skis the equivalent height of Mount Everest in the Swiss Alps.
The four-day Everest in the Alps challenge has so far raised almost £2.8 million for The Brain Tumour Charity, much of it from donations through Goldman Sachs’ charitable giving scheme.
The challenge was dreamt up by Mr Ritchie to enhance awareness of children’s brain tumours as well as raising money for research into the disease, which kills more children in the UK than any other type of cancer.
Among those taking part was Rob de Laszlo, who lives near Winchester. His son Ben is a close schoolfriend of Toby’s.
The boys (Toby, left, and Ben, right, pictured) were both in Verbier to cheer on their dads as they completed the challenge last Friday.
Sarah Lindsell, chief executive of The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “This is the largest single donation we have received for research into childhood brain tumours and it will have a profound impact on our work.
“It will allow us to accelerate progress towards better understanding of the disease and more effective treatments, so that families in future are spared some of the trauma the Ritchies have suffered.
“We are immensely grateful to Rob Ritchie, Rob de Laszlo and the rest of the team for their astounding physical and fundraising efforts.”
Mr Ritchie said: “After months of planning and four intense days, we are all elated to have achieved our goal and raised so much money for The Brain Tumour Charity.
“Ski-ing into Verbier and seeing our families and friends there to meet us was something none of us will forget.
“We all want to say a huge thank you to everyone who has supported us so generously.”
The Everest in the Alps team of 12 men and two women climbed a total of 8,848 metres on skis - equivalent to the world’s highest mountain.
The challenge was organised by expedition company Secret Compass, which specialises in unusual and world–first achievements in challenging environments.
www.everestinthealps.com
Polly Newton, PR and Media Manager, The Brain Tumour Charity.
DD: 01252 418191 | M: 07990 828385 | polly.newton@thebraintumourcharity.org
About The Brain Tumour Charity
Registered Charity No. 1150054 (England and Wales) SC045081 (Scotland)
The Brain Tumour Charity is at the forefront of the fight to defeat brain tumours and is making a difference every day to the lives of people with a brain tumour and their families.
They fund pioneering research to increase survival and improve treatment options and raise awareness of the symptoms and effects of brain tumours to get earlier diagnosis and to help families cope with everything that the diagnosis of a brain tumour brings. They provide support for everyone affected so that they can live as full a life as possible, with the best quality of life.
They fund and promote the UK-wide HeadSmart campaign, raising awareness of the signs and symptoms of brain tumours in children and young people to make earlier diagnosis a reality. Earlier diagnosis will reduce long term disabilities and save lives. In just thee years, HeadSmart has reduced average diagnosis time from 9.1 weeks to 6.7 weeks.
Find out more at: www.thebraintumourcharity.org
Members of the Association of Medical Research Charities, The Information Standard, The Helplines Partnership and the Fundraising Standards Board.
Brain tumours – the facts
Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40.
Over 9,300 people are diagnosed each year with a primary brain tumour, including 500 children and young people – that’s 25 people every day.
Almost 5,000 people lose their lives to a brain tumour each year.
Thousands more are diagnosed with secondary brain tumours, which are not recorded.
Brain tumours reduce life expectancy by on average 20 years – the highest of any cancer.
Just 14% of adults survive for five years after diagnosis.
Brain tumours are the largest cause of preventable or treatable blindness in children.
Childhood brain tumour survivors are 10 times more likely to suffer long term disability than well children.
This accounts for 20,000 additional disabled life years for all the children who are diagnosed each year.
Research offers the only real hope of dramatic improvements in the management and treatment of brain tumours.
Over £500m is spent on cancer research in the UK every year, yet less than 2% is spent on brain tumours.
Tags:
