Stephen Realf, who tragically passed away in August 2014, was the inspiration for the e-petition calling for more brain tumour research funding
Launched by his parents, Liz and Peter Realf, and his sister Maria Lester, just after the anniversary of his death
The e-petition quickly attracted thousands of signatures, reaching 10,000 on August 24th 2015.
On October 28th The House of Commons officially launched the Petitions Committee
On October 30th, the Petitions Committee, chaired by Helen Jones MP, launched their first ever inquiry based on the already impressive response to the e-petition. This opened the doors for over 1,000 individuals to tell their stories via a web forum.
"Like many of those who have submitted to this web thread, our family's experience of brain cancer was heartbreaking. My brother was a bright, active, wonderful young man with a promising career and future ahead of him – but the tumour robbed him of everything he had worked so hard for."
Maria Lester
At the launch of the inquiry on November 3rd 2015, committee members listened to all evidence given
Evidence was given by the petitioner and family, as well as representatives from Brain Tumour Research, The Brain Tumour Charity, Children with Cancer UK and Cancer Research UK.
Over three sessions, evidence was given by contributors to the web forum, Professor Geoff Pilkington, Garth Cruickshank, Professor Tracy Warr and Karen Kennedy, the Director of the National Cancer Research Institute.
On December 12th, the e-petition reached over 30,000 signatures. It went on to achieve over 100,000 on January 9th 2016.
The e-petition closed on February 3rd with 120,129, and a Westminster Hall debate was planned.
On March 14th, the Petitions Committee launched their first report - 'Funding for research into brain tumours'
The Committee concluded that "successive Governments have failed brain tumour patients and their families for decades". They called for decisive action to tackle the historic underfunding of brain tumour research.
The date of the debate was announced. We asked for your support, and you gave it in droves, writing to and visiting your MP to share the issues and engaging them with our campaign.
April 18th - day of debate
We were overwhelmed to see 70 MPs in attendance to debate the Petitions Committee report.
The then Minister of Life Sciences, George Freeman MP, represented the Government on the day of the debate:
"I want to pay tribute to the patients and their families and loved ones whose experiences and whose pain drive this campaign and issue. It is my great privilege as the Minister to see that across the difference disease areas, and today in the debate, and in your work, you are lifting a torch and joining a magnificent history of people who, through their suffering of a disease, insist on our doing better and who drive campaigns and raise awareness, leading to increased funding."
They agreed that action was needed and that current funding for brain tumour research was not enough.
They promised to create a group of experts (working group) to address the problem.
On October 11th 2016 we released our Report on National Research Funding
The release of our report addresses the historic underfunding and lack of awareness surrounding brain tumour research.
Fewer than 10% of people in the UK know that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
Devastatingly, every week, a family loses a child to a brain tumour, more than those lost, under the age of 15, to leukaemia
October 18th is the day of the first meeting of the Government's new Task and Finish Working Group where Brain Tumour Research will play a key role. We aim to ensure that action is taken to increase national funding and bring us closer to a cure for all types of brain tumours within the next decade.
