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Ainslie family from Lymington raise over £20,000 in one year for Brain Tumour Research – with no plans to stop




A LYMINGTON family has raised £20,000 in one year in memory of their husband and father who died from a brain tumour.

Joanne Ainslie (58) organised cheese and wine nights, pub quizzes, and even completed the Three Peaks Challenge with her family to honour her late husband Craig, who died in 2003.

All the money has gone to Brain Tumour Research, which searches tirelessly for a cure to the devastating condition.

Joanne completed the Three Peaks Challenge with children Alex and Holly
Joanne completed the Three Peaks Challenge with children Alex and Holly

Joanne said: “However much time has passed since we lost Craig, it’s all still very raw to our family; but we find fundraising in Craig’s name really therapeutic.

“Last year, our goal was to raise £5,000, but we surpassed it with £20,000. I’m already considering a skydive or wing walk as my next challenge to support this charity, which means so much to me.

“Raising funds and awareness is crucial to finding a cure and saving thousands of lives affected by this disease every year. We’re not stopping any time soon.

“I know if Craig were here, he’d cheer me on, saying, ‘You go, girl.’ He was always my biggest supporter.”

Craig with Joanne, Alex and Holly after diagnosis
Craig with Joanne, Alex and Holly after diagnosis

Joanne was living in France with Craig and their two children Alex and Holly in 2001 when he began suffering from severe headaches and speech difficulties. Doctors diagnosed him with oligodendroglioma, a rare brain tumour that was inoperable.

This year, she is embarking on her most ambitious fundraiser yet – a 50km trek across the Sahara Desert, starting on 27th March, along with 15 other people whose lives have been touched in some way by this kind of cancer.

Joanne said: “I’m really excited about the Sahara trek, but I’ve injured my foot during training, so it’s already the first of many hurdles I’ll need to overcome.

“I’ve been finding alternative ways to prepare while giving my foot time to heal. Long walks are helping me build leg strength, and I’ll be doing some of those with my children, Holly and Alex, in a couple of weeks.

“The environment will be completely unfamiliar, and there’s no real way to prepare for it. I live on the coast, so I can train on the beach, but it’s nothing compared to the Sahara’s sand dunes and heat. Still, I keep telling myself, if I can do this small thing, considering what Craig endured, this challenge will feel like a drop in the ocean.”

To donate to Joanne’s challenge visit www.justgiving.com/page/ainsliecrew



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