Oxford University staff wear hats in support of brain tumour awareness – In Your Area
Wear A Hat Day at Lincoln College. PHOTO: Brain Tumour Research
Submitted by Brain Tumour Research
Staff at the University of Oxford, in Oxfordshire, have worn their hats and eaten lots of cake to raise awareness of brain tumours, and to support a local woman who has the disease.
Members of all departments at Lincoln College joined together in the dining hall on Friday, March 25 in celebration of the Brain Tumour Research charity’s Wear A Hat Day…….
Wear A Hat Day at Lincoln College. PHOTO: Brain Tumour Research
Submitted by Brain Tumour Research
Staff at the University of Oxford, in Oxfordshire, have worn their hats and eaten lots of cake to raise awareness of brain tumours, and to support a local woman who has the disease.
Members of all departments at Lincoln College joined together in the dining hall on Friday, March 25 in celebration of the Brain Tumour Research charity’s Wear A Hat Day, to raise money for vital research into the devastating disease.
Mum-of-two, Sarah Barrett, from Rose Hill, was diagnosed with an acoustic schwannoma brain tumour in 2020.
The 47-year-old is the eldest of three children for Susan Nicholls, a housekeeping manager at the college.
Susan said: “I’ve gone through so much with Sarah, and the college community wanted to bring all the departments together to raise awareness of this awful disease.
“It’s so important to us to get together and help find a cure with Brain Tumour Research.”
Sarah, mum to Erin, 12, and Kane, 28, started losing her balance and getting tinnitus in 2020.
Her GP instantly realised something was wrong and referred her to the John Radcliffe Hospital. An MRI scan revealed a tumour on her brain.
Susan said: “Sarah was in such a state, and I went totally numb. I didn’t know what we were dealing with. She had radiotherapy, and now she is totally deaf in one ear and still gets tinnitus and bad headaches.
“But she’s doing ok, and she’s still working at Radley College in Kennington, although she does still lose her balance occasionally.”
Sarah now has regular scans to monitor the tumour. Her latest revealed it had slightly shrunk.
Susan and her colleagues wore a variety of headwear, from sombreros to witches’ hats, as part of Brain Tumour Research’s Wear A Hat Day.
Susan Nicholls. PHOTO: Brain Tumour Research
Susan said: “I feel overwhelmed that everyone at the college joined together to get behind this.
“It’s been such a lovely morning, lots of cake was eaten, and it was all for a good cause.
“Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.
“More needs to be done to find a cure.”
Mel Tiley, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Susan and her colleagues for taking part in Wear A Hat Day to raise money for Brain Tumour Research, as …….
