Man to fundraise at Chichester’s Walk of Hope inspired by son with aggressive tumour

José de Abreu has signed up to the charity’s Chichester Walk of Hope, which will see him follow a 9km route between Chichester, Lavant and West Dean on 30 September for the Brain Tumour Research charity.

His inspiration for taking part comes from his son, Chavier, a 34-year-old Primark shop assistant who was diagnosed with a high-grade astrocytoma in April 2021.

Chavier’s tumour is inoperable but he has undergone radiotherapy, a recent shunt surgery and is currently on his third round of chemotherapy.

José, from Salfords, said: “Chavier’s high-grade tumour was discovered during a routine scan and is, unfortunately, too deep to be operated on.

“He had no symptoms so we wouldn’t have known about it without the scan, but, given the aggressive nature of it, without treatment, it’s likely he wouldn’t be with us now.

The 63-year-old, who also took part in the charity’s Wear A Hat Day fundraiser last year, said: “Chavier’s still recovering from his recent brain surgery, but he’s a fighter and we’re hoping he will recover soon.

“At the moment, he’s not able to walk steadily and for some distance on his own. I have to use a wheelchair to take him to his medical appointments and he isn’t always 100 aware of his surroundings, but he’s a positive person and full of hope that things are going to get better, so doesn’t complain.

“He’s reacted badly to the first cycle of the carboplatin and etoposide chemo he’s now on, which caused him to faint and have convulsions, but with his previous chemo he worked every day and never once said he wanted to stay home, which I found really inspiring.”

José, a married father-of-two, hopes to involve his family in the fundraiser and is looking forward to meeting others affected by brain tumours and their families.

He said: “My husband will be coming with me and I’m going to bring Chavier too, but my older son lives in South West London and I’m trying to twist his arm to come and walk with us. I’m looking forward to it.

“It’s the first time I’ll be meeting other people affected by brain tumours, in a non-clinical environment, so it’ll be nice to maybe form a network and share stories. I think it’ll be great.”

He added: “My hope is that researchers will find something that can help Chavier, and that in the future we’ll be helping others like him.”

Charlie Allsebrook, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “Chavier’s sad story is a stark reminder of the indiscriminate nature of brain tumours, which can affect anyone at any time. They 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 this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

“We’re determined to change this but it’s only by working together we will be able to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure. We’re really grateful to José for his support and would encourage anyone interested in taking part in a Walk of Hope to visit www.braintumourresearch.org/walk-of-hope.”

Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and 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.

To support Jose’s fundraising, visit www.justgiving.com/page/jose-maria-mendes-de-abreu-1692453499118.