One minute Joanna James was relaxing on a sun lounger, enjoying a holiday with her partner to celebrate her 50th birthday – and the next, she was unable to speak, being cared for in hospital and diagnosed with incurable brain cancer.
After extensive chemotherapy and radiotherapy back home in Yorkshire, there was nothing more the NHS could do and she was given just 12-18 months to live.
That was in September, but six months later she is beginning immunotherapy treatment in Germany which it is hoped will extend her life – and her family and friends are helping her fundraise to cover the £100,000 cost.
Joanna, from Ilkley, has raised almost £38,000 through an online fundraiser and her brother Sam is training to run the length of the 190-mile (305.7km) Coast to Coast path to raise even more.
Joanna was on holiday in Greece with her partner Mark Whittington, also 50, when she was suddenly unable to speak.
Writing about her experience on her own fundraising page, she said: “Mark reacted immediately and I was rushed to hospital. Within 24 hours, our world fell apart.”
“A diagnosis like this doesn’t just shake your world; it shatters it. One day you are planning the future, and the next you are being told your prognosis is 12–18 months,” Joanna said.
She was diagnosed with a grade four glioblastoma – but is hoping specialist treatment in Cologne could buy her more time, and preserve her quality of life.
Joanna underwent awake brain surgery followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy [Joanna James]
“Since that day, I have undergone awake brain surgery to remove as much of the tumour as possible, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
“I have faced each stage with determination and strength because I am not ready to stop fighting for my life,” she added.
Joanna has now begun immunotherapy treatment at Immun-Onkologisches Zentrum Köln (IOZK), a clinic in Cologne.
The treatment is not a cure, but could exend her life – however including travel and medical costs, the full cost is estimated at about £100,000.
Sam Bagshaw, 39, will run the 190-mile Coast to Coast path from St Bees in Cumbria to Robin Hood’s Bay in North Yorkshire in three days and hopes to raise £3,000 [Sam Bagshaw]
Her youngest brother Sam, who also lives in Ilkley, said there was nothing he could do about the diagnoses – but he could run 300km to raise some money to help.
The father-of-three will start his challenge on 24 April, carrying his own kit across the path which takes in three national parks – the Lake District, The Yorkshire Dales and the North York Moors – with his wife Lauren as his support crew.
He explained: “I’ve been doing loads of running for quite a while now and Joanna has always been going on at me to do stuff for charity, but I’ve never wanted that added pressure. But then I thought, I might as well put it to some good.
“I started raising money for the brain tumour charity, but then we found out about the immunotherapy treatment in Cologne, so are now raising money for that.”
Joanna and Sam share a close bond [Sam Bagshaw]
He said they planned to hire a camper van they could sleep in between his 100km each day. But as the cost is proving too high, he is considering now running the challenge in just two days.
Sam has some experience in ultra running, having previously run a 100km race in he Brecon Beacons. He hopes this time he will be joined by friends for sections of the route.
“I’m setting off on my own but I’ve got a few friends who like running and they said they might join along the way.
“I’m going to have a tracker so they can see where I am and then join as I go,” he said.
As for the training, Sam has been running 100km a week for the last five weeks – equivalent to more than 11 hours plus strength training.
He hopes a positive attitude – just like the one Joanna is keeping throughout her treatment – will help him through the challenge.
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