Lisa steps up to walk for husband Jamie

Lisa Connelly recalled the “surreal” moment she was told partner Jamie, 37, required surgery for an oligodendroglioma brain tumour after suffering a seizure in November 2016.

PE teacher Jamie suffered a second seizure in February 2017 after Lisa found out she was pregnant with the couple’s second daughter and went under the knife later that month.

Surgeons were able to remove the majority of the tumour, but Lisa is determined to raise awareness of the condition and help fund research into prevention of the disease.

She joined friend Jo – whose mum Lyn also suffered a brain tumour – on The Brain Tumour Charity’s first Scottish Twilight Walk.

The Sunday afternoon 10km walk through the city started and finished at The Edinburgh Academy on Henderson Row.

Lisa said: “We found out that Jamie needed surgery a couple of days after Christmas. The whole thing was just such a shock, it was surreal.

“He was in the operating theatre for about five hours and afterwards the surgeon was hopeful that they had removed about 70 per cent of the tumour and he underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy subsequently to reduce as much as possible of the residual tumour.”

The news has meant that the family can now focus on Jamie’s fitness rehabilitation and allow him to concentrate on his fitness. They are now in a “watch and wait” situation until Jamie’s next MRI check in January 2019.

She added: “Jamie’s last MRI in June has shown signs of shrinkage and we now hope it will go to sleep for many years to come.”

“He has an amazing outlook. He always was and still is so positive in his outlook and I truly believe that has been key to him getting through this so far.”

“As a family and with all our friends as support, we really hope that sharing Jamie’s story will raise awareness and that the Edinburgh Walk will help others going through similar situations.”

As well as Edinburgh, a similar event took place in Warwick on September 30, with a further walk in Windsor taking place on October 14. There are also over 70 solo walks, organised by the charity’s supporters themselves, that have more than 2000 people taking part up and down the UK during October.

Shona Richardson, community fundraiser for The Brain Tumour Charity, said: “The Twilight Walk helps to show people affected by brain tumours that they are not alone. We are hugely grateful to Jamie and his family for sharing their story and helping us raise awareness of brain tumours.”