Man's epic 180 mile journey in memory of brother and 'best friend'
The brother of a fit and active man who died from a brain tumour followed in his footsteps by taking on a tough physical challenge to raise money in his memory. Luke Sidwell, 28, from Nuneaton, has now raised nearly £4,000 to Brain Tumour Research, a charity that funds research to find a cure for the devastating disease.
He took on an epic cycling and hiking journey of 180 miles to scale Scafell Pike, in the Lake District, and Snowdon, in Wales, and travel between the two. His brother Scott sadly passed away in June 2022, aged 27, less than a year after his diagnosis.
Scott had been known for running marathons, entering Tough Mudders and playing football.
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Luke said: "Scott and I were very close. There were only 11 months between us and we were in the same year at school so people often thought we were twins.
"I feel like I have not only lost my brother, but my best friend. Before Scott was diagnosed, I was oblivious to brain tumours. Sadly, it’s too late for him, but I hope the money I’ve donated is life-changing and will help make a difference going forward."
Scott, who lived in Fulham and owned a robotics engineering firm, had suffered from blurred vision and painful headaches.
He was diagnosed with a glioblastoma, which has an average survival prognosis of between 12 and 18 months, and underwent surgery, followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
But he lost the ability to walk and the cancer spread to his spine.
Following his fundraising Luke, a material scientist for Rolls Royce, and his partner Laura Davis were invited to the charity's centre of excellence at Queen Mary University of London.
They were able to see how the money will support scientists' research into brain tumours and visited the Wall of Hope, where there is a tile dedicated to Scott.
Luke said: "It is heartening to hear from the scientists about the work being done in their quest to find a cure, which can’t come soon enough."
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer.
Louise Aubrey, from Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Luke for his incredible support and generosity in his brother’s memory.
"We hope that the visit to our centre of excellence offered a useful insight into all we’re doing to improve treatment options for patients and, ultimately, find a cure."