A Ramsgate family will be climbing the highest mountain peak in southern Britain this weekend to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity.
Maintenance supervisor Andy Turner, wife Amanda and their six year old son Buddy are travelling to Wales to tackle Pen Y Fan, with a peak 886 metres above sea-level, on Saturday (April 27).
Andy began suffering crippling headaches in around June 2022. In December of that year Amanda took her husband to A&E but the couple were directed back to their GP. They asked for a scan but Andy was told to take Naproxen and if headache didn’t go in two weeks to return to the doctor and get an eye test in the meantime.
Two weeks later Andy collapsed while working at the University of Kent.
Amanda, 39, said: “ I called the doctor and asked for the MRI scan that we were waiting for to be made urgent and explained what happened. They agreed and we waited four and half weeks before the scan date.
“He had a scan at Dover Buckland hospital on Saturday 14th January. The doctors called on the 17th January and said ‘sorry to tell you this but you have a brain tumour which is quite big at 28mm and it’s stopping the drainage system in your brain.’
“That Friday, 20th January Kings College Hospital called and told us to be on standby as they needed to do emergency surgery to stop the fluid on the brain killing him.
“We waited over the weekend and did not hear anything and then the consultant called us on Monday 23rd January and asked us to come up to A&E at Kings as they didn’t want to leave it too much longer, they wanted him there so at least if something happened he would be able to get the correct care.
“He was in there for eight days and had emergency surgery for Hydrocephalus.”
In October last year the tumour, which was benign, was removed and Andy, who celebrates his 43rd birthday on Tuesday, has made a full recovery.
Amanda said: “It’s been a long road but we got there in the end.”
Now the family want to raise funds for the Brain Tumour Charity in recognition of Andy’s battle but also in memory of four year old Brooklyn Bain, who attended the same school as Buddy but sadly passed away in January due to an aggressive brain tumour.
The fundraising is also to recognise someone close to the family who is currently going through treatment for a brain tumour and cancer and in memory of Amanda’s sister who passed away in July 2023 to cancer which spread to her brain.
Amanda said: “I could not think of a better charity to donate to with what we have gone through in the last twelve months. We have been having long walks to try and prepare ourselves for (the mountain climb).
“We feel like this is a nice positive thing to do as a family, and to conquer a mountain at six years old is something Buddy will never forget.”
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