Brain tumour widow from Broom helping raise vital research funds

A widow from Broom is using the hobby she shared with her late husband to help raise funds for research into the disease that took his life.

As keen golfers, Chris Kermath and her husband of 41 years, Ian, were long-term members of Mount Pleasant Golf Club in Lower Stondon.

Now ladies vice-captain for the 2023 year, Chris has chosen to support Brain Tumour Research as her ladies’ charity of the year.

The retired teacher, said: “When Karen Clark, the captain, asked if I’d like to choose the charity, without hesitation I said it had to be Brain Tumour Research.”

Chris informed members of her choice at the launch of the new captain’s year on Sunday (January 29), during which she outlined the charity’s aims and her reasons for supporting it.

The 68-year-old’s husband was diagnosed with a grade 4 glioblastoma (GBM) in April 2017.

Having spent weeks experiencing memory loss and an inability to perform tasks he had previously found simple, he was initially suspected of having dementia.

Ian, an IT-based purchasing consultant, was told his tumour was inoperable and that radiotherapy might only extend his life by a month, so he opted for palliative care. He died peacefully at his home in Broom four months later, aged 67.

Chris said: “Ian was never in physical pain and didn’t appear to be in distress, but the change in the man I had known was so stark that it was awful. Thankfully, he went peacefully and just stopped breathing.”

She added: “What happened to Ian was a tragedy and I miss him terribly, but I can’t help but think that he at least got to live 67 years. With brain tumours killing more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer, not everyone is so lucky. We need to fund more research to ensure young people who have their whole lives ahead of them are able to live long, full lives.”

Planned fundraisers already in the club diary include a Wear A Hat Day event at the end of Brain Tumour Awareness Month on March 31, Ascot Ladies Day in June, Ladies Captain Day in August and an invitation day for other clubs in the county in September.

Discussions are also taking place about the possibility of holding a firewalk to raise extra funds later in the year.

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “With one in three people knowing someone affected by a brain tumour, Ian’s story is, sadly, not unique. It’s a stark reminder of the fact brain tumours kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer, more women under 35 than breast cancer and more children than leukaemia.

“This has got to change but it’s only by working together that we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure. We’re really grateful to Chris for choosing us as a charity of the year partner and look forward to supporting her with the many fundraisers she and Karen have already got planned for the coming months.”

To find out more about Brain Tumour Research, visit www.braintumourresearch.org.