Southsea woman faces walking challenge for Brain Tumour Research in memory of mum

Elaine Clevett. PHOTO: Brain Tumour Research

Submitted by Brain Tumour Research

A woman from Southsea, in Hampshire, has taken on a challenge to walk solo for 24 hours to raise money for Brain Tumour Research, in memory of her mum.

Heidi Clevett will be walking the Isle of Wight coast this April in remembrance of Elaine Clevett.

Elaine died four months after being diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) in December 2021, when she was 60-years-old.

Family and friends first noticed that Elaine was ‘acting strange’ and appearing quieter than usual during her granddaughter Ivy’s second birthday celebrations.

A week later daughter Heidi and husband, Dave, took her to Worthing Hospital A&E.

A CT scan revealed Elaine had a tumour on her brain the size of an apple and would need an operation.

Heidi said: “Mum kept forgetting where we were and the reason why, she was really confused.

"Hearing the diagnosis was a huge shock and made even harder because my mum couldn’t comprehend what was going on.”

Elaine was given a course of steroids to reduce the swelling on her brain, caused by a build-up of fluid.

Her symptoms continued to worsen and she lost her short-term memory.

Heidi said: “In between leaving hospital and waiting for Mum’s operation, my brother, Peter, was due to get married on 11 September, this was the third time it had been re-arranged, due to the pandemic.

"The surgeons could see how important this day was for the whole family, so they suggested to delay the procedure so Mum could attend the wedding, which she was so desperate to be part of and on 16 September she had brain surgery.

“When I think about it, I never really got to speak to her properly again, it all happened really quickly.”

Six weeks after her symptoms first started, Elaine had a craniotomy at Brighton Hospital and was in surgery for four hours.

Surgeons noticed the tumour had spread to both hemispheres of her brain.

Immediately after surgery, Elaine suffered a bleed on the brain which caused her to have a stroke and she was rushed back into theatre, where surgeons removed the remaining tumour, unavoidably taking with it many healthy cells.

After being in a coma for five days, tests showed Elaine was suffering from a condition called cerebral salt wasting syndrome (CSWS), due to a lack of salt in her body.

After two weeks of treatment for CSWS, she later woke up from her coma, still unaware of her diagnosis.

The family received confirmation of their worst fears that Elaine’s tumour was an aggressive GBM and she would need palliative care due to the level of damage on her brain.

She was moved to Fulford Care and Nursing Home close to where she lived with her husband, Dave.

Elaine died on Wednesday, December 1 2021, having survived 15 days with no food or water.

In memory of Elaine, Heidi is set to walk the 106km distance around the Isle of Wight within 24 hours.

The 32-year-old said: “What happened to my mum didn’t seem fair and I want to be able to put my mind to something positive.

“Research on this type of cancer is extremely difficult, in part due to only 25 per cent of glioblastoma patients surviving more than one year.

"More research is desperately needed to understand this illness better – there is currently very little understanding of the disease, no understanding of the cause and minimal treatment options available to those afflicted.”

Mel Tiley, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re so sorry to hear that Elaine died, and so soon after her diagnosis too. We’re incredibly grateful to Heidi for choosing to fundraise in her memory.

"The family’s experience reminds us that research is desperately needed to help better understand brain tumours and ultimately, find a cure.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK.

It also campaigns for the Government and the larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to find a cure.

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater re-purposing of drugs.

To donate to Heidi’s fundraising challenge, visit here.

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