Brixton lawyer raises cash for sister who had brain tumour operation while awake

A lawyer from Brixton will cycle 200 miles from London to Paris to raise money for the hospital which removed a tumour for her sister while she was awake.

Kate Boakes, 33, will be cycling to Paris to raise money for The National Brain Appeal.

Her sister Rachel Boakes, 31, and also a lawyer, based in Brixton, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2021 and had brain surgery at the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery in Queen Square, London.

Kate said: “Rachel is my little sister and all I have ever wanted to do is protect her. It is hard not to feel helpless when serious illness strikes out of the blue. She has been incredible facing what she has had to face in the last year. I am so proud of her.”

Kate, who will be setting off on Sunday, accompanied by her husband Emad Akhtar, has already raised £10,000 for the charity.

The National Brain Appeal provided funding to create the UK’s first dedicated Brain Tumour Unit and ward, The Molly Lane Fox Unit, where Rachel was cared for when she had her surgery. 

In February 2021, a scan to investigate a lump under Rachel’s left ear led doctors to discover two serious conditions – a malignant tumour in her thyroid and surrounding lymph nodes, and also a low grade brain tumour. 

Rachel said: “It was a complete shock and so much to take in. I had never needed surgery or had an anaesthetic and I ended up having two operations just for the thyroid cancer. This was during lockdown and I had to go to hospital for the operations by myself with no visitors.”

In August that year Rachel had a follow up MRI scan of her brain that suggested that it would be advisable to consider operating on her brain tumour too.

Being awake during surgery means that the team can keep checking that Rachel is able to speak and answer questions and that they are not damaging those parts of her brain.

Rachel said: “Having awake brain surgery and being in hospital on my own again was very challenging. I’m am so relieved that the operation went OK. I cannot thank Andrew McEvoy, Anna Miserocchi and all of the team enough. All of the staff at the hospital were lovely and helped me get through it.”

Kate added: “Cycling to Paris raising money for The National Brain Appeal is our way of saying thank you to the incredible staff at The National Hospital and to help support the work that they do as a leader in the field of brain cancer care.

“More research into new treatments for brain cancer is urgently needed. Any donations big or small are much appreciated and will spur me on as I cycle to Paris very slowly on my silly bike.”

Click here to support Kate’s fundraising.

Pictured top: Kate Boakes, right, with sister Rachel (Picture: The National Brain Appeal)