Bereaved Derbyshire woman pays tribute to 'beautiful husband' who died after battle with brain tumour

Joanne Moore, 54 from Codnor in the Amber Valley district, lost her husband Richard to a glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), just nine months after his diagnosis.

Richard was a machine operator for DS Smith Packaging in Belper and had worked there for 42 years.

His only son Thomas was 16 and about to sit his GCSEs when Richard received his devastating diagnosis.

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Joanne, who works for the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said: “My beautiful husband took ill on 11 March 2019, just one week before his 60th Birthday. He died on 10 December that year, succumbing to this awful disease before he reached the age of 61.

"Richard was my soulmate, the love of my life and my everything. To see him suddenly going from a fit and healthy man to fighting for his life was utterly devastating and I will never come to terms with losing him. He was a fantastic dad to our son Thomas and he still had so much to live for.”

She has joined more than 112,000 people affected by brain tumours in signing a petition by the charity Brain Tumour Research to demand action from the Government to fund research to help find a cure.

The petition calls for increased investment in scientific research to bring parity of funding with other cancers such as breast and leukaemia.

Joanne added: “We need money now to find a cure. So many lives are needlessly being lost to brain tumours.”

A report sent to MPs today (April 15) highlights the fact that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer. .

The charity says that since 2002, £680 million has been invested in breast cancer while just £96 million has been spent on researching brain tumours.

In its Petition Report, Level Up and Stop the Devastation, the charity is calling on the Government to introduce a new brain tumour research levelling up fund of £105 million; increase the national investment into brain tumour research to £35 million a year; and demonstrate joined up thinking for investment across the research.

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