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Nurse With Terminal Brain Cancer Raises £30,000 For Her 21st Birthday

Nurse With Terminal Brain Cancer Raises £30,000 For Her 21st Birthday

Emily Oliver is receiving end-of-life care, but still wanted to help others

Tom Wood

Tom Wood

A nursing student with a terminal illness gave up her 21st birthday to raise money for charity in a heartwarming and selfless gesture.

Emily Oliver is currently receiving end-of-life care at a hospice as a result of a brain tumour. While her family have vowed to fight to find a cure for her, doctors have said that she may only have a short time left to live.

The 21-year-old student, who studies at the University of Nottingham, fell ill in January 2018 and was diagnosed with a glioblastoma tumour in her brain.

Despite her illness, she still managed to come up with a touching gesture by using her birthday last October raise more than £30,000 for charity.

PA

Her dad, Tim Oliver, said that she couldn't believe the amount of support she got when she asked for donations last year.

He told the Press Association: "She was very proud of that.

"Emily has been unbelievable just in the way she has coped with this illness.

"Never has she said, 'Why me?' Nobody is to blame. It's just a horrible quirk of nature.

"She has gone through some horrendous treatments. But she has fought all the way through and we will continue to fight for her.

"The reality is there is no cure for these types of tumours. Our hope is one day, this dreadful disease, we will find a cure for it. It won't help us but hopefully it will help other parents."

PA

Brain tumours kill 5,000 children and adults under the age of 40 each year. That makes them the biggest cancer killer for those groups.

Just 14 percent of adults manage to survive for five years after diagnosis, according to the The Brain Tumour Charity.

The charity also added that brain tumour research accounts for less than two percent of a total £500 million that is spent each year on cancer research.

Emily underwent radiotherapy as well as chemotherapy, but the truth is that we don't know what causes brain tumours to start to grow.

That's why the charity is researching genes to discover potential causes.

Emily went to a consultant in Los Angeles before heading to a teaching hospital in Germany where DNA was taken to create a vaccine.

PA

They've tried other drugs to slow the growth down, but to no avail. She began to deteriorate this April.

Her dad continued: "There is no further treatment.

"We are just waiting for the tumour to do what it's going to do. We have done absolutely everything that could be done. We have left no stone unturned."

Mr Oliver - a Surrey County Council leader - is riding the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 100 this August to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity as well.

Emily's brother James will also ride for his sister's chosen charity.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: UK News, Inspirational, Health