Nabela Salem lost her mum shortly after her first birthday but is determined to turn pain into purpose
Craig Dunn with his partner, Nabela Salem and daughter, Serena(Image: Brain Tumour Research)
A South Shields mum is fundraising for a brain tumour cure in memory of her late mother and to support her partner who has been given a devastating diagnosis. Nabela Salem, 33, lost her mum, Breda Hanlon, to a brain tumour when she was just a baby.
Decades later, in 2025, her partner Craig Dunn, 34, was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a rare and aggressive brain tumour. Now, Nabela is working with Brain Tumour Research during International Brain Tumour Awareness Week to raise awareness of her family’s story and the need for sustainable funding into the disease.
Nabela, an energy consultant, said: “Losing my mam changed my life in ways I’m still coming to understand. Going through everything with Craig has brought a lot of those emotions back to the surface. Some days it feels like I’m being asked to walk through grief all over again – but my mam’s memory reminds me to hold tightly to the people I love and to keep going, even when it’s hard.”
Craig, who also works as an energy consultant, first began experiencing severe headaches in April 2025. After visiting his GP, he was sent to A&E where scans revealed a brain tumour. He underwent emergency surgery to remove the mass at the Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) in Newcastle and was later diagnosed with medulloblastoma.
Breda Hanlon with Nabela Salem in the past(Image: Brain Tumour Research)
Craig has since completed 35 sessions of radiotherapy at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital – including treatment to his head and spine – and will soon begin chemotherapy. “Our family life has changed completely since Craig’s diagnosis,” Nabela said.
“We would take our daughter Serena to the park, beach, and go swimming together. We haven’t been able to do those things as much because Craig has been so unwell since his radiation treatment. But watching him with Serena, how patient, loving, and playful he is, makes me so proud. He’s an incredible dad, and we’re doing everything we can to stay hopeful.”
Breda, Nabela’s mum, was a bodybuilding champion who won the title of Miss British Isles Figure Building Championship in 1987. Although she was in peak physical health, she was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumour and had surgery at Newcastle General Hospital. She later received radiotherapy but continued her training and stayed active for as long as she could. Sadly, Breda died in 1993, shortly after Nabela’s first birthday.
Nabela continues: “My mam’s passing taught me a lot about strength, love, and being present. Those lessons are helping me now. I want Serena to grow up seeing that even when life is hard, we can still do something good. That’s what this fundraising is all about – hope.”
Nabela Salem at the start of the Great North Run(Image: Brain Tumour Research)
Determined to turn pain into purpose, Nabela completed the Great North Run 2025 last month, raising more than £8,500 for Brain Tumour Research in honour of her late mother and partner, Craig. The sum is enough to fund more than three days of research at the charity’s Centre of Excellence at Queen Mary University of London, where scientists are studying the molecular and genetic make-up of brain tumours to better understand how they develop and to identify new and more effective treatments.
Nabela said: “Fundraising for Brain Tumour Research has given me something positive to focus on during such a difficult time. When I found out that brain tumours receive just 1% of the national spend on cancer research, I was shocked. Despite how devastating these diagnoses can be, funding is so low – that has to change. Every donation, no matter how small, helps bring us closer to a cure.”
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Brain tumours are indiscriminate – and can affect anyone at any age and 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.
Ashley McWilliams, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Nabela’s story is deeply moving. She’s shown incredible strength by turning personal tragedy into action. Her fundraising is not only a tribute to her loved ones but also a vital contribution to our mission to advance research.
“More than 100,000 people in the UK are living with a brain tumour or the life-long impact of their diagnosis. That’s why we’re calling on the Government to increase investment into research, so we can improve outcomes and bring hope to those affected.
“We’re encouraging others to follow Nabela’s lead by taking on our 99 Miles in November challenge – whether you walk, run or cycle, every mile helps fund the research that will lead to better treatments and, one day, a cure for this devastating disease.” To support Brain Tumour Research, join the 99 Miles in November challenge here.