Twin diagnosed with brain tumour runs ‘messy’ 5k with sister to raise money for charity

A brain tumour patient and her sister have raised vital funds for research by completing a messy 5K run kitted out with colourful leg warmers and tutus.

Twins, Sherie Gravell, of Croydon, and Ashlea Case, of Gillingham, Kent, took part in a Colour Obstacle Rush at Brighton Racecourse last Saturday in aid of the charity Brain Tumour Research.

Mum-of-two, Mrs Gravell, said:  “We had to climb up and down slides, go through tunnels, avoid big dangly things and try not to fall into holes in the floor.

“It was so much fun, and at the end we attacked each other with the coloured powder we were given.”

The pair, aged 33, bought leg warmers, tutus, arm protectors and other accessories, including sunglasses and beaded necklaces, in the charity’s colours of pink and yellow.

Their support for the charity comes following Mrs Gravell brain tumour diagnosis in April last year. After contracting COVID-19 and continuing to suffer with headaches for about eight weeks, she was sent for an MRI which led to the discovery of her tumour.

Sadly, surgery is not an option for Mrs Gravell due to the location of tumour near her brain stem so she is still under investigation and having to undergo repeated MRI scans and neurological tests every six months. 

Her tumour is currently stable and she is taking medication to control her headaches.

Mrs Gravell, who works in public services, said: “It was scary to be told I had a brain tumor and not what I had expected. 

“The GP who sent me for the MRI said they didn’t expect to find anything, but when they called me back in, they booked a 30-minute appointment, so I knew it wasn’t good.

“I was in hospital for a week after getting CT and MRI scans to check if the tumour had come from somewhere else in my body, but, thankfully, they were all clear.”

Ms Case said: “The time we spent in hospital was really scary because we had no answers and were being warned about worst case scenarios. 

“I spent the visiting hours with Sherie trying to take her mind off it, talking about love, life and digestive biscuits.”

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. 

 To support Sherie and Ashlea’s fundraising, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/ashlea-sherie.

 Pictured top: (L-R)Sherie Gravell and Ashlea Case (Picture: Brain Tumour Research)