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Darren Gough – former England, Essex and Yorkshire cricketer – will be one of many well-known personalities supporting Henry Brydon this week.
Henry (25) has set himself a challenge few would relish. On Wednesday (28 April) he plans to cycle from his home town of Shrewsbury, through the beautiful countryside to Bridgnorth, then Kidderminster and on to Worcester, finally arriving at Tewksbury for his evening stop-over, at the beginning of his epic journey to Sydney, Australia – a journey of 25,000 Km, through 25 countries, taking up to 18 months and raising £25,000 for Brain Tumour Research.
Wishing Henry success in his endeavours as he passes through Worcester will be members of the Worcestershire Brian Tumour Support Group (WBTSG), a local organisation working closely with people with brain tumours and their families across the region. People can find information about the route Henry will be taking and follow his progress via the website www.theblazingsaddles.com
It was his brother Jack’s diagnosis with a brain tumour in 2003, when he was 17, which has prompted Henry to set himself the challenge of cycling to Australia to raise desperately-needed funds for Brain Tumour Research.
Following a seizure, Jack was referred to The Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for a CT scan and then for an MRI scan at The Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Birmingham, which confirmed that he had a brain tumour. He underwent surgery to remove the tumour and is now thankfully fit and well, although he does have to be scanned every six months.
Through consultations with Professor Garth Cruickshank, his neuro-surgeon, Jack and Henry have learned that 16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour annually in the UK and that more children and people under the age of 40 die of a brain tumour than from leukaemia or any other cancer, yet brain tumour research receives less than 1% (0.7%) of cancer research spending in the UK.
Darren Gough – popular winner of the 2005 series of Strictly Come Dancing - stated: “As a sportsman and lover of competition, I applaud anyone who sets themselves up for a challenge and Henry Brydon has certainly set himself not one, but two awe-inspiring challenges: to cycle to the other side of the world AND to raise a huge sum of money for Brain Tumour Research.
“We must remember the greatest challenge is the one faced by all those thousands of people who each year are given the diagnosis of a brain tumour. Please sponsor Henry and raise funds for research into this dreadful disease.”
For his part Henry says: “Together with various other fundraising events, I hope to raise at least £25,000 for Brain Tumour Research. This is a cause I feel really passionate about, not least because we know we are so lucky still to have my brother Jack around. Please sponsor me and help me reach my target and bring hope, rather than despair, to the thousands of patients diagnosed each year with a brain tumour”.
To sponsor Henry and raise funds for Brain Tumour Research, you can donate via www.justgiving.com/HenryBrydon or send a cheque made payable to Brain Tumour Research and marked Henry Brydon to: Brain Tumour Research, The Business Centre, Padbury Hill Farm, Padbury, Buckingham, Bucks MK18 2BN
For more information on Brain Tumour Research visit www.braintumourresearch.org
For further information about the WBTSG visit www.wbtsg.org
issued: 27/04/10 | 
