Mum Strips For Brain Tumour Campaign

25 March 2011, 06:00

A married mum-of-two, who survived a brain tumour, is baring all to raise awareness of the illness.

Nicole Witts is appearing in a poster wearing nothing but a pink hat to launch Wear a Hat Day today, to raise awareness of the diseases which, according to Brain Tumour Research, claims the lives of more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

39 year old Nicole, who lives with her husband and two children in Leighton Buzzard, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2008.

She’s been telling heart it’s something she is determined to do since her operation to remove the tumour three years ago:

“I have still a 30% chance of my brain tumour coming back. So I decided to write down a bucket list of things I want to achieve. Number one on that list was to raise awareness and I was going to do anything to do that.

“I resorted to, happily, taking my clothes off and providing an eye-catching poster that people will stop and think “wow” and then they will realise that this isn’t an orphan illness, it needs funding.

“With more awareness, I hope more funding will come for research and education. I am thankful to be alive to be a mum, but I want to ensure what happened to me doesn’t happen to anyone else.”

Wear a Hat Day asks people to donate at least £1 each to wear a hat to school, work or simply out and about. All money goes towards funding for brain tumour research. It’s an annual event held by Brain Tumour Research’s ‘Centres of Hope’ campaign which aims to raise £7m for seven centres of excellence to try to find a cure for the disease.

For more information go to www.braintumourresearch.org

Nicole also has a website which has more information how you can get involved at www.nicolewitts.org.uk/. You can also follow Nicole’s campaign on Facebook by joining the group Nicole Witts Head 1st for Brain Tumour Research.