Sarah Brown: Our baby loss led to search for answers
The couple set up the Jennifer Brown Research Laboratory in 2004, in memory of their daughter, who died just 10 days after she was born, seven weeks premature.For the past decade, the Theirworld Edinburgh Birth Cohort has been a key part of the research laboratory's work.It is recording the progress of 400 children from birth to adulthood and aims to provide insights into the long-term effects of early labour on the developing brain.Preterm birth – when a child is born before 37 weeks – is the single biggest cause of death and disability among newborn babies and is a leading cause of impaired brain development in childhood.Sarah says the study is learning more about how the body reacts, how nutrition and sleep can help, and the impact of maternal care.She says it has also shown the "stark realities" of the impact of poverty.
Prof James Boardman, from the University of Edinburgh, is the cohort's chief investigator.His team uses a series of brain scans and psychological studies at various ages."We have decided to study in great detail the hows and whys of why premature birth affects the developing brain," he says."We think it's crucial to understand the hows in order to develop new treatments and new ways of supporting that group of children."He says one of the key findings so far is that poverty has an impact on brain development."It would be fair to say that a baby born at full term to a more deprived couple has a similar sort of risk of developing some developmental difficulties as a baby born at 25 weeks into a well-to-do family," Prof Boardman says.There are 400 families taking part in the study – 300 of them with preterm babies, the rest full-term births.
The McPhees from Edinburgh say they jumped at the chance to help.Elliot, now four, made his entrance into the world early at just 25 weeks.His mum, Robyn, 38, says: "He was extremely early. You imagine the worst – you get handed this piece of paper with the weeks and their survivability and things like that."I was in hospital for five nights before he came along. And he was in there for four months – until a month past his due date, with all sorts of complications."Elliot had to return to hospital a number of times due to the impact of a chronic lung disease - but Robyn says he has been doing really well."I feel proudness for him... he's overcome so much in his little life."The family had signed up to the study before Elliot was born."There was just a moment when I thought about all the mums that had been in preterm labour and all the babies born premature that had been in studies in the past and everything they had discovered to give my child the best chance at life," she says."My own background is in science and I know how important these studies are, and to me it made sense. Why shouldn't I include my child to help give a future preterm baby the best chance at life?"
Lili, who is also now aged four, was born 16 weeks early and weighted just 1lb 6oz.Her mum Delyth Hughes, from Midlothian, said: "We realised Lili was doing well because of all the other families who had taken part in studies."Taking part is the best decision we've ever made."Lili's dad, Mark, said: "Every time we look at Lili and think about how lucky we are that she has come on the way she has we just hope they can do that for more people and for babies born even earlier, potentially."Sarah Brown believes the research is just the beginning of a journey that has the potential to change the prospects of many children."I would go back to the beginning and have it all change and not end the way it did for me, but I know that what it's done has opened up other horizons," she says."I would love to think that other families can avoid that loss, or if they have a baby that's born prematurely and more vulnerable, or coming out of circumstances that are much more precarious, that there'll be a better way to track that future and to open it up and to be able to be much more predictive about what we can do."
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Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Glasgow Times
'Surgeons removed FIVE of my organs and now I'm free of cancer'
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Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Daily Mail
Father-of-two, 39, thought stomach pain was from 'dodgy sausage' at BBQ... but it was colon cancer - doctors gave him 'months to live'
The first sign something was wrong for Matt Eamer came just days after a family barbeque, celebrating his son's second birthday. The then 39-year-old father-of-two from Redhill, Surrey, dismissed the sudden 'spiky' stomach pain as food poisoning. 'I was speaking to work colleagues over the first week or two and thought I'd cooked a dodgy sausage,' he said. But his pain escalated quickly. After a rushed trip to A&E he was sent home with anti-nausea medication Buscopan, yet still felt dreadful. His wife Sarah, 41, a doula, took him to East Surrey Hospital where scans revealed a 'big blockage' in his large intestine. Surgeons removed two-thirds of his bowel in an emergency op. 'A few days later they confirmed it was cancer,' Matt said. The diagnosis was stage four bowel cancer. The disease had already spread to his liver and the lining of his abdomen, and further tests revealed a rare BRAF mutation which drives tumours to grow at speed. 'I can still remember the person's voice when she phoned and said, "the plan for your diagnosis has changed… we're talking months not years from a survival point of view",' Matt recalled of the events in September 2020. On his 40th birthday he was told standard chemotherapy had failed and surgeons found the cancer had advanced further. 'It was a very dramatic, movie-like point,' he said. 'It was a pivotal change. They said, "we've gone in, it's gone further, we're going to try these new drugs." My wife Sarah collapsed to the floor.' Matt began fortnightly Cetuximab infusions combined with four daily Encorafenib pills, new immunotherapy drugs approved just months earlier. Designed to buy only 'three to six months', they had a remarkable effect. Within six months, scans showed no trace of cancer. Five years on, he is still clear and continues treatment. 'Hitting five years with stage four is a rarity,' he said. 'You're not on your death bed but you're forced to think about how you spend your time.' In December 2024, he underwent a 14-hour surgery to remove cancerous tissue in his ribcage, followed by heated HIPEC chemotherapy. The disease had already spread to his liver and the lining of his abdomen, and further tests revealed a rare BRAF mutation which drives tumours to grow at speed. Again, scans showed 'things clear.' Matt, who runs his own design agency, continues working and raising his two children. 'The reality is younger people are able to deal with treatments better and live longer, better lives even if it is stage four,' he said. He adds: 'The reality is the 'bucket and spade things', the little moments. I spend more time looking at my kids' faces, taking them to a show or swimming in the sea — they are heightened. 'It means your ability to be present and focus upon what matters is heightened.' To mark five years since his diagnosis, Matt will join Sir Chris Hoy's charity cycle in Glasgow on September 7, raising funds for Bowel Cancer UK. 'It's marking a milestone in a meaningful, positive way,' he said. Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is one of the most common cancers in both Britain and the United States. In the UK around 43,000 people are diagnosed every year, while in the US the figure is more than 150,000. It is the third most common cancer worldwide and the second leading cause of cancer deaths. In older age groups incidence is declining thanks to better screening and awareness, yet in younger people rates are rising sharply, a trend baffling doctors. In England cases among those aged 25 to 49 have surged by around 3.6 per cent per year, one of the steepest increases in Europe, while in America rates in under-50s have been rising by about 2.4 per cent annually over the past decade. Outcomes depend heavily on how early the disease is caught. In the UK one-year survival is around 97 per cent if picked up through screening, but just 49 per cent if discovered in an emergency admission, as was the case for Matt. In the US five-year survival is 92 per cent at stage one but only 13 per cent at stage four. Most people with a diagnosis as advanced as Matt's do not reach the five-year mark, making his story unusual. Risk factors include family history, inflammatory bowel disease, obesity, alcohol, smoking, and diets low in fibre and high in red or processed meats. Researchers are also examining the role of ultra-processed foods, though evidence remains inconclusive, and some studies point to gut bacteria toxins such as colibactin, found in food poisoning, as a possible trigger for early-onset cases. Screening programmes remain vital. In the US guidelines now recommend testing from age 45, while in the UK stool tests are currently offered from 56, with pilot schemes lowering the age to 50. Symptoms to watch for include persistent changes in bowel habits, blood in stools, unexplained weight loss, abdominal pain or bloating, and lumps in the abdomen. Doctors stress that catching the disease early saves lives. Patients diagnosed at stage one are several times more likely to survive long term than those at stage four. But as Matt's case shows, advances in treatment—from new targeted drugs to more effective surgery—are beginning to change what is possible, even in the most serious cases. For him, the experience has redefined life. 'The reality isn't bucket-list dolphins—it's the bucket and spade things,' he said.
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
I blamed stomach pain on a dodgy BBQ but then I was told I have just months to live
WHEN Matt Eamer began experiencing stomach pain he put it down to eating "a dodgy sausage" at a family BBQ. But when the pain persisted, doctors discovered a "big blockage" in his intestine, which turned out to be stage 4 cancer. 6 6 Matt, 44, had been celebrating his son Alex's second birthday in September 2020 when "spiky" pain began. The dad-of-two was rushed to hospital and was given Buscopan - an over the counter medication that helps stomach cramps - and sent home. But he continued to feel awful. His wife Sarah, 41, a doula, took him to East Surrey Hospital, Surrey, where tests confirmed the blockage in his large intestine. Just days later, following surgery to remove the mass, it was confirmed as stage four bowel cancer. Matt underwent six months of intense chemotherapy, but during surgery to cut away part of his liver, in March 2021, surgeons told him it had spread to his peritoneum - the lining of the abdominal wall. It was also discovered Matt had a BRAF mutation - a genetic alteration that can lead to uncontrolled cell growth - and his "cancer had formed and grown very quickly". Matt was "looking at months" left to live when he began taking newly approved immunotherapy drugs called Cetuximab infusion and pills called Emcorafenib. But he responded well, and five years on has no signs of cancer, and still takes the medicine. Matt, from Redhill, Surrey, who runs a design agency, said: "I was speaking to work colleagues over the first week or two and thought I'd cooked a dodgy sausage on the BBQ. "My pain escalated quickly. I thought my sore knee was a drunken injury but it was cancer at 27 "I can still remember the person's voice when she phoned and said 'the plan for your diagnosis has changed'. "They said 'we're talking months not years from a survival point of view'. "Hitting five years with stage four is a rarity. "You're not on your death bed but you're forced to think about how you spend your time". He said doctors initially thought the mass might be benign. "They took out two thirds of my large intestine," he said. "A few days later they confirmed it was active cancer." New life-extending drugs After chemotherapy, Matt was informed on his 40th birthday by doctors that his treatment plan had changed Matt has been taking four Encorafenib pills every evening since and has fortnightly infusions of Cetuximab - designed to extend his life by three to six months. "It was a very dramatic movie like point," he said. "It was a pivotal change, they said, 'we've gone in, it's gone further, we're going to try these new drugs. "My wife Sarah collapsed to the floor." He began the new drugs approved just a few months earlier, which target rapid growth of cancer cells. Matt had an "unusual response" to the drugs - with scans after six months not showing "any cancer"- and now has fortnightly infusions. Despite needing a 14-hour surgery in December 2024 to remove tissue in his ribcage that had the BRAF mutation and HIPEC chemotherapy, Matt says doctors are back to the view of not seeing anything, with scans showing things are clear. "I'm never going to know what my future really looks like," he said. "I continue to run my own business and the family. "I remember four or five months ago listening to Virgin Radio and Chris Evans was interviewing Chris Hoy. "He's really trying to challenge the perception of stage four. "The reality is younger people are able to deal with treatments better and liver longer better lives even if it is stage four. "The book he's written highlighting things like being presented with things like a devastating life ending diagnosis, the cliche is you go for big bucket list of swimming dolphins and all that stuff. 6 6 6 6 "The reality is the 'bucket and spade things', the little moments. "I spend more time looking at my kids faces taking them to a show or swimming in the sea, they are heightened. "It means your ability to be present and focus upon what matters is heightened". He is now set to take part in a charity cycle set up by Sir Chris Hoy in Glasgow on September 7 raising funds for Bowel Cancer UK. It will mark five years since he was diagnosed. "It's marking a milestone in a meaningful positive way," he said. To donate, visit his GoFundMe. What are the red flag warning signs of bowel cancer? IT'S the fourth most common cancer in the UK, the second deadliest - yet bowel cancer can be cured, if you catch it early enough. While screening is one way of ensuring early diagnosis, there are things everyone can do to reduce their risk of the deadly disease. Being aware of the signs and symptoms of bowel cancer, spotting any changes and checking with your GP can prove a life-saver. If you notice any of the signs, don't be embarrassed and don't ignore them. Doctors are used to seeing lots of patients with bowel problems. The five red-flag symptoms of bowel cancer include: Bleeding from the back passage, or blood in your poo A change in your normal toilet habits - going more frequently for example Pain or a lump in your tummy Extreme tiredness Losing weight Tumours in the bowel typically bleed, which can cause a shortage of red blood cells, known as anaemia. It can cause tiredness and sometimes breathlessness. In some cases bowel cancer can block the bowel, this is known as a bowel obstruction. Other signs include: Gripping pains in the abdomen Feeling bloated Constipation and being unable to pass wind Being sick Feeling like you need to strain - like doing a number two - but after you've been to the loo While these are all signs to watch out for, experts warn the most serious is noticing blood in your stools. But, they warn it can prove tricky for doctors to diagnose the disease, because in most cases these symptoms will be a sign of a less serious disease.
