A Chester campaigner has spoken of city MP Chris Matheson’s support of her work lobbying MPs for more research into brain tumours.
Hannah Jones, 22, was at the House of Commons on November 17 as an ambassador for the Brain Tumour Charity.
The former Christleton High School student, who is now working as a teaching assistant, suffered a brain tumour at the age of 15 when she was studying for her GCSEs.
She underwent three major brain operations and gruelling radiotherapy treatment after her tumour was first diagnosed in 2008, but it reappeared less than a year later.
Further life-saving surgery resulted in her suffering a stroke, leaving her unable to walk or feed herself.
Hannah has since made an astonishing recovery and has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds through her charity, The Hannah Louise Jones Fund, selling Hannah Banana hoodies.
She said: “We have set up a petition into more research which has got thousands of signatures. Everyone speaking that day had been affected by a brain tumour in some way and there were MPs from all over the country.
“I can’t express how amazing and supportive Chris Matheson has been by pushing the message and talking to his MP colleagues about the issue. I am very grateful for everything he is doing.”
Hannah explained the problems patients encounter when first going to the GP with symptoms.
“We are keen to speed up diagnosis. Many people go to the GP with symptoms but it is a long time before they are properly diagnosed. A lot of the young ambassadors at the charity end up having emergency operations.
“It is still the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 but research is poorly funded.
“All I ask is that we achieve a level playing field - survival rates for other cancers are going up but it for brain tumours it remains the same.”
Hannah has won awards for her courage and her fundraising efforts for The Brain Tumour Charity.
