Pal’s amazing effort for brain tumour mum

The best friend of a Burnley woman diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour has started a mammoth charity fund-raising challenge.
Best friends Natalie Wilson, who has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, and Elisabeth Devey, who has launched a fund-raising campaign for the Brain Tumour Charity (s)Best friends Natalie Wilson, who has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, and Elisabeth Devey, who has launched a fund-raising campaign for the Brain Tumour Charity (s)
Best friends Natalie Wilson, who has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, and Elisabeth Devey, who has launched a fund-raising campaign for the Brain Tumour Charity (s)

Natalie Wilson (34), of Ightenhill, was diagnosed with a tumour six years ago after going to the doctor with headaches and other symptoms. She had surgery to remove part of it but last December she received the devastating news the tumour had continued to grow. The former teaching assistant, mum to a one-year-old daughter, underwent a second operation but doctors have now said the cancer cannot be cured.

When Natalie’s best friend, Elisabeth Devey, heard the news, and the fact only 2% of Cancer Research funding is spent on brain tumour research, she decided to start a year of fund-raising for the Brain Tumour Charity.

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She has called her campaign Liz to the Limit and completed her first challenge, the Great Manchester 10km Run, in 72 minutes.

Best friends Natalie Wilson, who has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, and Elisabeth Devey, who has launched a fund-raising campaign for the Brain Tumour Charity (s)Best friends Natalie Wilson, who has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, and Elisabeth Devey, who has launched a fund-raising campaign for the Brain Tumour Charity (s)
Best friends Natalie Wilson, who has been diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour, and Elisabeth Devey, who has launched a fund-raising campaign for the Brain Tumour Charity (s)

Next on the list is a sky dive later in the summer, for which she will need to lose two stones in weight, a half marathon in Birmingham in October and a charity ball, which Natalie is helping to organise, in November.

The fund-raising finale will be the Disney Marathon in Florida early next year. Sticking with the Disney theme, Elisabeth, who lives in Rishton, can be seen out and about wearing Mickey Mouse ears while training and is appealing for people to donate. “All they can do is treat it now. It’s not a case of weeks or months, people can live with a grade four tumour for years.

“When she went really bad I decided I needed to do something. I started off saying I’d run a marathon and then it escalated. Doing the Great Manchester Run has really spurred me on. I categorically was not a runner when I started training in January but I’ve to proved myself I can do it. I’m just keeping fit and building on my fitness now.

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“I think when I told Natalie and others what I was going to do they thought it was another one of my wild ideas.

“I’d like to thank Gap Personnel, Burnley, who are sponsoring me to do this.”

To donate visit https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/liztothelimit or follow Elisabeth’s progress on Twitter @liztothelimit.

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