A British lad is working to raise awareness after he lost half of his family to the same disease.
Seb Hughes is fundraising for charity to help find breakthroughs in treatment and to help other families.
The 20-year-old lost his dad, Ian, and his brothers, Milo and Oscar, to brain cancer in the space of just seven years.
At just five-years-old, Milo died in May 2021. This came a year after their dad died from brain cancer at 49 – the little boy was diagnosed with multiple tumours only a few days after Ian’s funeral.
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The youngster was born after their brother Oscar died at the age of nine from a brain tumour in May 2014.
The Manchester University student, his other brother Lucas, 14, and their mum, Marie, were left devastated by the family tragedies and Seb is working to channel that heartbreak into action.
OSCAR’s Paediatric Brain Tumour Charity was set up in his brother’s name and supports and cares for children facing brain tumours along with their families.
The charity also aims to raise awareness of childhood brain tumours and fund new research.
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Seb told Manchester Evening News: “Every day is a tremendous struggle without my dad and brothers. Everything I do is to make them proud, and I try to live my life to the fullest since they didn't get the chance.”
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According to Cancer Research UK, around 420 children are diagnosed with tumours affecting the brain and central nervous children every year in the UK.
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“One in four children diagnosed today will not see another five birthdays,” Seb added. “I see the children that OSCAR's help and know the pain they and their siblings and their parents are going through, and I am so thankful that I can help and that so many others are willing to as well.”
Seb was 17 when Milo died and just 10 when Oscar passed away. He explained: "You don't understand until you see it first hand just how brutal brain tumours are, especially for children.
"But, as my mum has said, there's a realisation in life that things can happen to your own family and you just want to help others by giving back."
The student explained how he and Oscar ‘grew up doing everything together’ and ‘were very close’.
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“We [Seb, his mum and Lucas] still do things together and talk about my dad, Oscar and Milo a lot,” he said. “We do not pretend this has not happened."
Seb, alongside other families and fundraises, is preparing to walk 21 miles across the Peak District’s Edale skyline for OSCAR’s while raising money on JustGiving.
"Ten years without my brother and best friend Oscar is such a significant milestone. Half my life without him. Walking this 21-mile journey, he will be with me every step, as will my dad and Milo. He would love doing stuff like this because he was so full of energy and always looked out for others,” he said.
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, contact Macmillan’s Cancer Support Line on 0808 808 00 00, 8am–8pm seven days a week.
Jess Battison