A BRADFORD woman who lost her husband to a brain tumour during the pandemic is to remember him by setting up a fundraising group in his name. 

Sheira MacIntyre-Valentine, 50, is launching the Thomas MacIntyre-Valentine Memorial Fund in memory of Thomas, who died in June last year, eight years after being diagnosed with the disease. 

Mum-of-three Sheira, from Apperley Bridge, said: “Thomas and I met on a dating app in 2014. We hit it off immediately and although I was 20 years older than him, age didn’t matter and we found a lot of common ground.

"I suffer from a long-term health problem, lupus, and Thomas’s bio on the app mentioned his brain tumour. We talked about our conditions and he was very open with me about his illness from the beginning.”

Thomas was diagnosed with an inoperable brainstem glioma in 2012. Following his diagnosis, he was treated with radiotherapy and chemotherapy and put on steroids, to reduce and prevent inflammation around the tumour. 

Sheira said: “What struck me straight away was how well he dealt with his diagnosis.

"He had a positive outlook and did his best to enjoy life. This, in spite of the fact that he’d initially been given a prognosis of just two years. He accepted that he could die from his brain tumour but didn’t let it get him down.”

Thomas had scans every six months to monitor his disease and, for a long time, they remained stable. In August 2019, another positive set of scan results meant that he was given the ‘all-clear’ and his routine scans were reduced to every two years.

But in February 2020, Thomas began to show some unusual symptoms, becoming clumsy and stumbling around. He told Sheira he couldn’t remember how to swallow and complained his face was going numb.

He was admitted to St James’s University Hospital in Leeds and an MRI scan showed changes in his tumour.

Thomas’s condition worsened and got to the point where he was unable to walk or talk.

Sheira said: “Thomas re-started radiotherapy and chemotherapy but it didn’t really work. Some limited movement came back but his speech didn’t return. 

“The tumour was just too aggressive. I cried and cried. Not wanting to leave his side, I moved into the hospital and slept in his bed. He’d become trapped in his own body and it was awful to witness.”

Covid-19 lockdown rules made things even harder, with strict measures in place in the hospital. 

Eventually, Thomas asked the staff if he could be discharged, as he wanted to return home to die. A hospital bed was installed in Sheira and Thomas’s home and Sheira cared for her “wonderful” husband in the final weeks of his life.

Tragically, he died on June 9 last year, leaving Sheira “completely devastated”.

One year on, she is still overcome with grief.

She said: “I try to keep myself busy, to distract from the horror of losing him but at nighttime, I’m often hysterical and it’s getting harder all the time.

"One of the things I’ve become really passionate about is raising awareness of brain tumours.

"It’s awful when you discover just how many young people are impacted. Not only young adults, like Thomas, but too many children are suffering and will continue to suffer at the hands of this disease, unless something changes.

"We desperately need more funding to find a cure."

Sheira added: “Tom never thought he’d done anything worth remembering but I disagree. He was an extremely talented bass guitar player, artist and comic book illustrator.

"He was a wonderful person; non-judgmental and tolerant. He cared passionately about fighting discrimination. I want to make sure he’s remembered and the Fundraising Group will go some way to help ensure that happens, while raising money and awareness for this vital cause.”

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet historically just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to the disease, says Brain Tumour Research.

Matthew Price, community development manager for Brain Tumour Research said: “We were so very sorry to learn about Sheira’s loss. Our hearts to go out to her and to all those who knew and loved Thomas. We must do better to ensure more families don’t have to suffer in this way.

“We are really grateful to Sheira for committing to setting up a Fundraising Group in Thomas’s name. I know she has some exciting plans to hold music events to fundraise for Brain Tumour Research and she will support us as we influence the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more nationally. Increased investment in research is vital if we are to improve outcomes for patients and ultimately, find a cure.”

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 calling 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 repurposing of drugs.

Whilst Covid-19 restrictions still apply, the charity is reminding supporters to observe safety measures when planning their events.

To donate, visit: www.braintumourresearch.org/donation/donate-now and share your reason as ‘Thomas MacIntyre-Valentine’.