Mum's brain tumour death inspires daughter's charity push

Lisa Harrison (right) said her mother had been very healthy before she fell ill

A woman whose mother died from a brain tumour six weeks after being diagnosed has pledged to raise money to stop other families losing loved ones.

Marion Greenwood, 71, learned she had an incurable tumour in early October after experiencing excessive tiredness and movement issues.

She died at home on 12 November.

Her devastated daughter, Lisa Harrison, from Willington, Derbyshire, is now planning a charity walk to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.

Ms Greenwood's husband Peter thought she may have had a stroke

Ms Harrison, 47, said her mother had been very fit and healthy but began to notice she was more tired than usual in August.

"Mum would fall asleep in the middle of the day, which was very unlike her," she said.

"She put it down to the change in medication she was taking for her high blood pressure, but when she was told to reduce the dosage there was no change.

"When mum walked, she would kick out her left foot. She also slurred some of her words and the left corner of her mouth started to droop."

'Helpless'

Scans revealed a mass on her brain and a biopsy confirmed it as a grade 4 glioblastoma multiforme.

"I was in total shock. Mum was my best friend and I kept thinking 'what am I going to do without her?'," Ms Harrison said.

A biopsy revealed the severity of Ms Greenwood's illness

By mid-October, her mother's condition had deteriorated further.

"Mum had another MRI scan. Her tumour had gone from three broken globules to one big mass which was a quarter of the size of her brain," she said.

"I was already going through the grieving process because we knew there was nothing that could be done.

"It was too late for her to have any treatment."

'Devastating disease'

Following stays at a hospital and hospice, Ms Greenwood returned to her home in Mountsorrel, Leicestershire, in early November.

"You could see her body relax when she came through the door," Ms Harrison said.

"Her friends came over to see her and brought a bottle of prosecco to celebrate her homecoming.

"Mum had a mouth sponge and I dipped this in the prosecco so she could get a taste."

Her mother's death a few days later prompted Ms Harrison to organise a 25km (15 mile) fundraising walk in April to raise money for treatment research.

"I need to do something to raise awareness and get more funding for brain tumours so that other families don't suffer like we have," she said.

"I shall keep going to raise as much as I can because I'm determined to find a cure for this devastating disease."

Matthew Price, from Brain Tumour Research, said: "We are very grateful for Lisa's support and are thinking of her and all of Marion's loved ones at this very difficult time."