Stevenage schoolboy battling brain tumour sets sights on fundraising appeal
Luke Webber, a student at Barclay Academy in Stevenage, is battling a brain tumour and is determined to raise money for Anna's Hope - a charity that has been supporting him and his family. Picture: Courtesy of Belinda Jenner - Credit: Archant
A schoolboy with a rare type of brain tumour is raising money for a children’s charity that is supporting him and his family through this difficult time.
Luke Webber is a Year 8 pupil at Barclay Academy in Stevenage and he began experiencing headaches and problems with his vision not long after joining the school in September last year.
He explained: “We saw opticians and doctors and had loads of hospital visits, but no one could tell me what was wrong. My eyesight gradually got better but I found myself falling asleep at all sorts of weird times.”
This summer, however, the headaches returned and were very severe and Luke also began to experience double vision.
He said: “I started to see two of everything, so we went back to hospital and this time the doctors were able to see that I had a brain tumour. I was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge by ambulance, where I had emergency surgery via my nose to try and remove it.”
Luke has a craniopharyngioma - a benign brain tumour that usually grows near the base of the brain, near the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland makes hormones that control important body functions and craniopharyngiomas can change the way in which it works, including causing growth problems, diabetes, loss of eyesight, nausea and headaches.
Luke’s brain tumour is very hard to treat but he will be undergoing further surgery in December before travelling to Manchester for a type of radiotherapy called proton beam therapy.
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Luke is keen to raise money for children’s brain tumour charity Anna’s Hope, which has supported Luke through the Brainbow rehabilitation service at Addenbrooke’s Hospital.
Belinda Jenner, careers and enrichment coordinator at Barclay Academy, said: “Luke is very keen to raise money and, as a school, we are supporting him with this. On Friday we are holding a non-uniform fundraising day. Luke is a keen supporter of Queens Park Rangers Football Club and the theme is to wear something blue. The canteen is even doing some blue-themed food.”
Luke has so far raised more than £2,000 – smashing his £500 target. To support his fundraising endeavours you can make a donation via https://justgiving.com/fundraising/hayley-warner8
