A MERIDEN woman is preparing to run the Solihull half marathon during chemotherapy treatment after she was diagnosed with a deadly brain tumour.
Hannah King-Page kept her seizures a secret for three months but following a seizure at work she was diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme (GBM).
Almost two years the 40-year-old was given a terminal diagnosis, and as she undergoes gruelling chemotherapy, she is lacing her trainers to tackle 13.1miles of the Solihull Half Marathon on August 14 with friend, Ranjit Matharu.
Hannah said: “Chemotherapy feels like you have a constant hangover which you can’t shake.
“You do your best to stay hydrated and take painkillers but they often don’t work.
“The only bonus is that my chemotherapy is tablet form which means I take them for five days every 28 days so I can stay at home and hide.”
Hannah is no stranger to running and has so far completed an impressive 340km since January, however this will be the first time Hannah takes on an epic run during treatment.
She describes the week after chemotherapy as ‘kill or cure’, referring to the fatigue and groggy feelings that often come with this type of cancer treatment.
Hannah, who started running in 2016 said: “I remember whilst I was out with the running club I had a seizure, which for me came out as a weird and uncontrollable murmur, I knew what was happening and covered my mouth to try and stop it.”
Hannah is fundraising for Brain Tumour Research and since her diagnosis has raised more than £2,400 for the charity.
She added: “Since joining Balsall Common Run Club I have been welcomed by a community of encouraging and like-minded people and bonded with a member who was also diagnosed with a brain tumour.
“I am determined to do the best I can in raising awareness to keep the conversation going around the need for more funding for research.”
“The last half marathon I ran I was in between treatment and so I was pleased to get around the course, this time I would love to complete the race a couple of minutes quicker.”
According to Brain Tumour Research, GBM is the most commonly diagnosed high-grade brain tumour in adults.
It is fast-growing and the average survival time is just 12 to 18 months and treatment options are extremely limited and there is no cure.
Melanie Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “Hannah has been so generous in sharing her story with us. We are grateful that she continues to raise awareness as well as taking on incredible challenges to raise money too. We wish her well in her treatment and are cheering her on finishing in a personal best time.”
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