Hull mum's research plea after son diagnosed with three brain tumours

The mother of an 11-year-old boy diagnosed with three brain tumours is calling for more funding into research for the disease.  

Bailey Clark, from Hull, was seven years old when doctors discovered a glioma in 2019.

Since then, he has been diagnosed with two other tumours and has undergone radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Bailey also has a rare genetic condition, which is linked to him having autism, epilepsy, low muscle tone, hypermobility and a visual impairment.

His mother, Helen, 47, gave up her job as a pharmacy manager to look after Bailey full-time and is now raising funds for Brain Tumour Research and calling for more investment in research.

She said: "Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002. The low level of funding is ridiculous and it makes me so angry. Much more needs to be done.”

Bailey endured eight months of chemotherapy after the first tumour was discovered.

Helen said: "It's hard – he started with quite and intensive course of chemotherapy. He was really really poorly, it was not a nice thing for him to go through. He had lots and lots of blood transfusions, platelets. He actually ended up on a ventilator.

"He doesn't understand a lot of things, but he picks up on my emotions."

Brain Tumour Research is calling on the Government to ring-fence £110m of funding for research.

It is aiming to force a parliamentary debate on the issue by collecting 100,000 signatures on a petition before the end of October.

Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, “For too long governments have put brain tumours on the ‘too-difficult-to-think-about’ pile. Five years after the Government announced £40m for brain cancer research, just £15m has been spent.

"Patients and families continue to be let down by a funding system that is built in silos and not fit for purpose."

In a statement, the Department of Health and Social Care said: "We've specifically allocated £40million for research in this area on top of £1billion a year for wider health research. Funding will continue to be available for further studies to develop new treatments."