Devoted son runs Edinburgh Marathon for mum whose GP misdiagnosed incurable tumour
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info
A Scottish man is taking on the Edinburgh Half Marathon in honour of his mum who has been diagnosed with an incurable illness.
After what appeared to be hot flushes and a 'mini stroke', it was later revealed they were the symptoms of an aggressive and incurable brain tumour.
Jonny Charles, 29, is running 13.1 miles to raise funds for Brain Tumour Research, following his mum Fiona's shock diagnosis with glioblastoma in October 2024.
The 61-year-old former primary school teacher had experienced a series of unexplained symptoms that gradually worsened, reports Aberdeen Live.
Jonny said: "Mum would do anything for anyone. She gave up her teaching career to raise me, my brother Matthew and my sister Jennifer."
"She was always active, playing golf, walking a lot, and taking part in agility competitions with our dog, Pippa. They've won so many rosettes that I don't think I could count them.
(Image: Brain Tumour Research)
"In mid-2024, mum started having these odd episodes where she'd suddenly feel hot and flustered, with her heart racing, and she would need to sip water to calm herself.
"She also mentioned a strange smell in her nose, like burning food, but couldn't describe it properly. At first, we were worried her heart palpitations may be mini strokes that would lead to a major one, but we just weren't sure.
"Eventually, my parents decided to go private for an MRI because we just weren't getting answers. That scan changed everything."
Although a GP letter had initially reassured the family that the "small area of change at the front of the brain absolutely does not look like a brain tumour", they were not satisfied and pushed for further investigation, arranging a private MRI scan at Albyn Hospital in Aberdeen.
The results revealed a mass in Fiona's brain. Further testing, including a biopsy, confirmed it was a glioblastoma, one of the most aggressive and fast-growing forms of brain tumour, with a prognosis of 12 to 18 months.
Fiona received the news just before her 61st birthday. "I'll never forget when she called us to come over so she could give the news to us in person," Jonny said.
"She didn't tell us why, which made the wait really difficult. We sat down in the living room, and she told us she had cancer.
"She stayed calm, but I could see the effort it took. We were all trying to come to terms with it, thinking about what the future might look like.
"It hit me that there were things she might never get to see – weddings, grandchildren, all the moments you take for granted."
(Image: Brain Tumour Research)
Since her diagnosis, Fiona has completed radiotherapy and is currently on round five of six chemotherapy sessions, with treatment going as well as could be hoped.
She has experienced fatigue, weight loss and reduced appetite, and has made significant changes to her diet after researching how sugar might fuel tumour growth.
Initially on a mostly liquid diet, Fiona has now returned to eating more normally. She is also back to baking and cooking – activities she loves and that help lift her spirits.
She often shares homemade food with Jonny and his sister when they visit. He has also taken over weekly agility classes with Pippa, helping maintain a routine that once brought his mum so much joy.
Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages.
Jonny is now training for the Edinburgh Half Marathon in support of the new Scottish Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence, a collaboration between Brain Tumour Research and Beatson Cancer Charity.
The centre, based in Glasgow and Edinburgh universities, is focusing on research into glioblastoma.
Jonny said: "Before Mum's diagnosis, I had never even heard of glioblastoma. When I started reading about it, what shocked me most was how little funding it receives.
"Just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research goes to brain tumours, even though they are one of the most aggressive and devastating forms of cancer.
"That feels completely out of step with the impact they have on families like mine.
"This isn't about finishing with a fast time. I'm doing it to raise money, to raise awareness, and to help make sure more people understand how overlooked brain tumours still are."
Ashley McWilliams, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: "Jonny's story is incredibly powerful. His love for his mum and his commitment to doing something practical and positive are truly inspiring.
"We are proud to have him supporting our work and wish him every success with the Edinburgh Half Marathon."
To support Jonny's fundraising challenge, click here.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
2 hours ago
- South Wales Argus
Letter demands better pancreatic cancer detection in Wales
The letter, signed by more than 59,000 people, was handed over on behalf of a dad who died four weeks after his diagnosis. Pancreatic Cancer UK joined forces with Plaid Cymru's deputy Senedd leader, Delyth Jewell MS, and Isla Gear, a Scottish campaigner whose brother, Tam Barker, died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 47. Mr Barker's diagnosis came too late and he died, leaving behind a 12-year-old son. Since then, Ms Gear has been fighting for earlier detection of the disease, and her petition on received 200,000 signatures. Ms Jewell said: "Pancreatic cancer still robs too many people of their loved ones. "Five hundred people will likely be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer every year in Wales, but 300 of them will be diagnosed at a late stage. "It's these cruelly late diagnosis rates that we have to tackle because we have to find new ways of offering hope to the people it affects. "My grandmother died of pancreatic cancer more than 20 years ago. "The pain she went through was devastating to my family, and I want to do everything I can to prevent other families from having to face that kind of ordeal. "I don't want anyone to have to go through what she went through, or what my mother went through in losing her like that." The letter calls for the Welsh Government to invest in regular monitoring for those at high risk, support the development of new detection tests, and urge the UK Government to allocate at least £35 million annually for 20 years for research. Currently, there are no early detection tests, and 80 per cent of patients are not diagnosed until the cancer is at an advanced stage. Isla Gear, 38, said: "While he was in hospital Tam said he never wanted anyone else to go through this. "By uniting, I hope to raise even more awareness and secure change for everyone facing pancreatic cancer in the future."
Scotsman
7 hours ago
- Scotsman
From Edinburgh to Invictus: JJ Chalmers on resilience, recovery & life after the Marines
JJ Chalmers' remarkable journey began right here in Edinburgh. Born and raised in the Scottish capital, the former Royal Marine Commando has become a symbol of resilience, determination and transformation. Sign up to our daily newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Since his military service, JJ has competed in the Invictus Games, become a popular BBC broadcaster, and shared powerful stories of recovery, service and identity with audiences around the world. His journey from the battlefield to the television screen has made him one of the UK's most compelling voices on perseverance and mental strength. In this exclusive interview with Champions Speakers Agency, JJ opens up about the personal challenges behind his recovery, the lasting impact of the Invictus Games, and why open conversations around mental health and purpose are more important than ever. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Q: Mental health is an ongoing conversation in society. How did you personally manage your emotional and psychological wellbeing through recovery? JJ Chalmers - Champions Speakers Agency JJ Chalmers: 'Amazingly, with my mental health, I just happened, I think, to do the right things. 'When I look at the points in my recovery where things could have gone terribly wrong with my mental health, I think by accident I did the right things — and that was mainly through my openness and my honesty. 'My ability to vocalise what I was seeing, how I was struggling — not even necessarily ask for help, but just say it to people in a manner where they could offer help or they could at least just listen. And that burden was taken off of me. 'Again, no one really told me to do that. And it wasn't even that I was doing it necessarily with a trained professional. It was more that — just not letting things build up within myself, being open, being honest with others and therefore being honest with myself. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad JJ Chalmers - The Mental Health Speakers Agency 'That, when I look back at it, was what has steered me away from some of the catastrophic outcomes that, sadly, some of my friends have suffered from — are suffering with. 'But it's not to say that I always get it right, and it's not to say that it was easy. But I do count myself lucky. Not that it didn't happen to me, but rather that I just managed to avert it — through unintentional means, essentially.' Q: The Invictus Games have become a powerful platform for veterans. How did taking part influence your journey and future direction? JJ Chalmers: 'The Invictus Games were the most sort of critical catalyst point in my recovery. JJ Chalmers - The Motivational Speakers Agency 'In some ways, it was where all began to — I think — make sense or come good. And suddenly it was being able to gauge the fact that in the last — God, it had been three or four years up to that point — I had made tremendous progress. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'But because I was starting from so low, and more crucially, I was starting from a place that was well below what I was used to experiencing, it was always sort of 'I want to get back to normal, I want to get back to feeling like myself, I want to get back to having the ability that I had before.' 'But time had passed. Actually, what you want is to progress within that time. And so the Invictus Games is the first moment where I actually felt like I had begun to surpass my expectations of myself. 'And that was actually more like what it used to be — I used to go out and challenge myself and really push myself. That's what the Marines was. And so the opportunity to pull in a uniform and represent my country, win medals — that was me suddenly achieving something which I never really thought possible, even before my injuries. So that was an amazing thing. 'But I suppose the other part of it was it gave me a real understanding and an appreciation of the world I was living in — the veteran recovery space — and just how powerful it was. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I'd taken for granted this incredible inspiration I had around me. Invictus was branding that up. It was trying its best to basically bottle that so that you could give it to others. 'And of course, that was the thing that really excited me and drew me to wanting to be a broadcaster and work in TV and radio — because that was the opportunity to tell people stories who were otherwise overlooked, but I knew had an amazing story to tell and an amazing purpose. 'I used to be a teacher once upon a time, and in some ways as a TV presenter, I still see myself as a teacher. 'Because you're imparting knowledge and information on people, you're telling stories — so that's what I'm doing with a much bigger platform. But none of that would have been possible without the Invictus Games, because it just supercharged my recovery and, I suppose, my ambition with it. It really motivated me to think that something extraordinary could be possible.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Q: Your military service with the Royal Marines began in 2005. How did that experience influence the values you live by today? JJ Chalmers: 'It's funny because it's kind of chicken and egg in the sense that it absolutely shaped so many of my values and standards, but the ones I already had. So I went to the Marines because I had those things. I had that sense of service and I was quietly determined. I looked for positivity and cheerfulness in the face of adversity. Those are the things that drew me to the Marines. 'But then what the Marines do is put you in situations where you really develop that, and that's getting thrown in puddles, being cold, wet and miserable, and all the way to Afghanistan facing the hardest circumstances you can imagine. 'And obviously, my injuries in amongst that — those were situations where I had been drawn to because of the values that I had, but they aligned with the Marines. And then, what I guess what I'm saying is, those things have stayed with me well beyond that and that heightened amount of it. 'So yeah, my day-to-day life now — it is that sense of looking for the positive, looking for the silver lining in any situation, having that sort of positive drive, that relentless pursuit of excellence, determination, never giving up — because you know it's worth it in the end.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Q: In facing life-changing injuries, what proved to be the most significant challenge during your recovery? JJ Chalmers: 'It is hard to tell because there were a lot of hurdles and you had to clear some of them more than once. But the biggest thing is wrapping your head around the enormity of what you're facing, I suppose. 'The doctors told me my recovery would take a year and a half to two years. The reality is it took more like five to six years — and actually, ten years later, you realise you're never recovered. I will never have the physical ability that I used to. It's not to say that I can't be fit, it's not to say that I can't challenge myself, but I will never do things in the way that I used to. 'And so you'll never be fully recovered. And that is both a physical challenge but also a mental challenge to be able to adjust and accept that. And accepting things like going from being fiercely independent in the Marines to now being quite dependent on others. 'And that's not a bad thing. There's a positive to be learned about appreciating the support networks you have and having people to rely on. But it was — losing your independence is a terrifying thing and it's a really hard thing to adjust to. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'So I think the biggest thing was just trying to adjust to the enormity of the challenge and the fact that the repercussions of what I sustained will live with me forever.' This exclusive interview with JJ Chalmers was conducted by Sophia Hayes.
Scotsman
11 hours ago
- Scotsman
Keynote speakers announced for inaugural Scottish Women's Wellbeing Summit
Lesley Canis, the passionate women's wellbeing advocate behind the inaugural Scottish Women's Wellbeing Summit, set to take place at the Old Course Hotel in St Andrews on 15th November, has released details of the five truly inspiring female speakers, four of whom are Scottish, that she has assembled to inspire and motivate delegates at this one of a kind event. Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Bringing together two hundred women, a committed and highly engaged mix of leading female professionals, entrepreneurs, business owners, and corporate business leaders, the summit will provide an opportunity to network, collaborate, and inspire, with exhibitor stalls from Scotland's leading wellness and leadership industries, along with networking sessions and workshops to attend. Additionally, the summit will provide an opportunity for those attending to mentally and physically renew, with a series of immersive experiences, including ice bathing, yoga, and even fire walking. For delegates who chose to stay overnight, they will have access to the hotel's swimming pool, hot tub and sauna. Fittingly described by Lesley as 'game changers, with whom she 'cannot wait to get into the room', the speakers include Britain's first female Fighter-Jet Pilot, Dr Jo Salter, Kate Muir, leading Scottish writer, women's health campaigner and documentary maker, and Lee Donald, the seventh Scottish woman ever to summit Mount Everest. The Owner and Director of Lee Donald Personal Training, she is a multi award winning Fitness Entrepreneur who has represented Scotland at European & World Championship obstacle course racing. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Voted into the BBC's 50 most inspiring women in the world, Dr Jo Salter is a PWC Global Transformational Leadership and Director of People & Organisation, overseeing 240 000 people in 157 territories. Rejected twice by the RAF, as women weren't allowed to fly, she was instrumental in changing the test policies for allowing new recruits into the air force - creating a stronger more modern RAF as the first female lead of an all-male squadron. An inspiration for the recent Top Gun Maverick film Jo was Personally invited by Tom Cruise to its UK premiere. Kate Muir is another of the speakers Kate Muir's book, How to Have a Magnificent Midlife Crisis was published in 2025, following Everything You Need to Know About the Menopause (But Were Too Afraid to Ask), and Everything You Need to Know About the Pill (But Were Too Afraid to Ask). She is the creator and producer of two documentaries on the menopause including Davina McCall's: Sex, Myths and the Menopause for Channel 4, and the Pill Revolution documentary. She was chief film critic for The Times for seven years, and is the author of three novels. Additionally, Councillor Sally Pattle will also take to the stage at SWWS. Representing the Linlithgow Ward on West Lothian Council for the Scottish Liberal Democrats, where she is their Mental Health Spokesperson, Sally was the first Liberal Democrat to be elected at any level in West Lothian for over thirty years. Away from politics, she owns the award winning Far From The Madding Crowd Bookshop. Bringing the number of speakers secured so far to five is Sharon Miller, the founder of innovative, holistic team building & training business, Joyworks!, which specialises in fully accredited laughter yoga leadership training. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Commenting on the speaker selection so far, Lesley Canis said:' I am thrilled beyond words to unveil, what I can only describe, as five truly inspirational women to speak to us at this keynote summit. I am confident that delegates interested in coming along to the summit will agree with me that the achievements and remit of these five women is jaw dropping. There can be seldom opportunities in life to engage with women at this level, all in the one location. They have the ability to take us to another level.' Sally Pattlel is a local Councillor and runs a bookshop 'I'd like to thank all my speakers for taking time out of their incredibly busy schedules to come along,' continued Lesley. 'Lee Donald, particularly, is now in training to summit K2 in 2026, the steepest and hardest mountain in the world. When she reaches the summit, she will the first Scottish woman ever to do it, and one of only three women ever to have submitted K2 and Everest. Having beat a fifteen year eating disorder, as well as depression and alcohol addiction, Lee is now a pioneer for mental health awareness.' 'I'm sure she, and my other speakers, will get a rapturous reception.' Lesley finished by saying that she was 'delighted with how things are going so far with the Summit, with strong numbers on my ticket waitlist. I am taking applications for exhibitors now. We have Biomel UK, a prestigious gut health brand, on board as a sponsor. Fife based Vivimus Water are supplying the water for the event.' Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Delegates can gain exclusive access to a networking Drinks Reception, plus a Leadership Dinner afterwards. Lee Donald is an inspirational Personal Trainer Designed to be an unforgettable and empowering experience that could well become a regular fixture in influential women's yearly calendars, facilitating and staging the summit is the realisation of Lesley's long-held dream to present an event that combines wellbeing with leadership for women.
