BBK Adult Brain Injury team raises £1,200 for brainstrust – brain tumour charity

Earlier this month Bolt Burdon Kemp’s Adult Brain Injury Team laced up our running shoes to take on 5km and 10km races around Richmond Park in London for brainstrust, a charity close to our hearts.

Did you know that there are over 130 types of brain tumour?

The world of brain tumours is diverse and often misunderstood. When we hear of a brain tumour, we often assume it’s cancerous, but that’s not always the case. Low-grade or non-malignant brain tumours exist, and they have the potential to significantly impact an individual’s life, as they grow and affect surrounding structures in the brain.

Regrettably, we’re seeing an increasing number of clients come to us with incorrect or delayed diagnoses of brain tumours, resulting in life-alteringaltering problems including physical, emotional and psychological issues.

It’s no secret the BBK team is dedicated to seeking justice for those with medical negligence claims, but supporting our clients and their families and raising awareness of brain tumours is a crucial aspect of our work too. That’s why we chose to raise funds for brainstrust.

Brainstrust provides information, support and practical help to those diagnosed with a brain tumour, while also campaigning on their behalf. It has a support line, groups and an online community, plus a ‘brain box’ toolkit to those newly diagnosed. It stresses the importance of treating individuals as just that – individuals, not merely patients.

It was a pleasure to take on the challenge for such a worthwhile cause, knowing the impact brain tumours have on our clients. We were so grateful to be able to raise £1,200 for brainstrust.

It may have been a sweltering day for October (20C in October!) but Richmond proved to be a beautiful location for our race where we had the privilege of sharing our course with a variety of wildlife, including deer!

The course was challenging and there were moments when maintaining the pace was a struggle, but we all persevered and completed our races in good time – maybe it was the thought of the pub lunch afterwards that pulled us through…

Supporting brainstrust’s work

As well as supporting those diagnosed with brain tumours, brainstrust is at the forefront of brain tumour campaigning and research, working to expand knowledge about brain tumours for the benefit of all.

This field of medicine is unfortunately under-researched and under-funded, and they strive to raise awareness of the critical issues affecting those with brain tumours.

Brainstrust contends that discussions around ‘earlier’ diagnosis should be reframed as ‘faster’ diagnosis. This means that if an individual suspects something is amiss, they should undergo a thorough examination and receive a diagnosis as swiftly as possible.

BBK brain tumour claims

Just because a tumour is labelled as ‘benign’, it doesn’t mean it’s ‘fine’. In fact, charities like brainstrust and others in the field are advocating for the word ‘benign’ to be phased out, as there’s a misconception that benign brain tumours don’t cause problems. The preference now is to use the terms ‘low-grade’ or ‘non-malignant’.

Due to their relative rarity and the fact symptoms can sometimes be attributed to other conditions, these tumours can be overlooked by medical professionals, leading to a delayed diagnosis, even though a brain tumour can be easily identified with a CT or MRI scan.

Some have missed the opportunity for less invasive treatment because the tumour has grown too large. Others have experienced complications from the tumour growing for too long without intervention, including strokes, physical disabilities, hearing loss and other debilitating symptoms.

We’ve investigated numerous claims related to missed diagnoses of low-grade or non-malignant tumours, including cases involving acoustic neuromas/vestibular schwannomas, meningiomas, glomus tumours and trigeminal schwannomas.

We guide our clients through the legal process, engaging top medical experts and pressuring the defendants to admit liability for their wrongdoing.

We’ve achieved success in many brain tumour claims, securing substantial compensation to ensure our clients’ life-long needs are met through provisions like care, treatment and rehabilitation. I‘ve detailed our approach when someone seeks advice following a missed diagnosis of a brain tumour in a separate article here.

Brain tumour help

Being diagnosed with a brain tumour can be a daunting and overwhelming experience. You might be concerned about what comes next or how your life might change.

It’s crucial to know that you’re not alone.

Seeking support from a brain tumour charity like brainstrust is invaluable, and we always recommend getting in touch.