Former Miss Teen Lincoln joins charity after beating brain tumour
Former Miss Teen Lincoln Eva MacDonald has shared her harrowing brain tumour story after being selected as a young ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity. At the age of five, Eva’s teacher at Mount Street Primary School in Lincoln (now Mount Street Academy) noticed that her handwriting had deteriorated over the summer holidays and she…
After battling her illness, Eva wants to raise awareness of brain tumours.
Former Miss Teen Lincoln Eva MacDonald has shared her harrowing brain tumour story after being selected as a young ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity.
At the age of five, Eva’s teacher at Mount Street Primary School in Lincoln (now Mount Street Academy) noticed that her handwriting had deteriorated over the summer holidays and she was referred for hospital scans, revealing she had a brain tumour.
Despite several visits to the GP over 18 months suffering from headaches, nausea, stiff neck and loss of balance, it was thanks to her eagle eyed primary school teacher that Eva finally received the diagnosis.
Eva, now 20, has been selected along with 21 other people all over the country as Young Ambassadors for The Brain Tumour Charity to help raise awareness and defeat brain tumours – the biggest cancer killer of children and adults under 40 in the UK.
She said: “In 25 years, the head of the GP practice we went to had never seen a patient with a brain tumour before, which meant they were unfamiliar with the symptoms.
“It was a huge shock for my mum, but I was too young to really understand or take it in.”
She had an operation in September 2001 at The Radcliffe Infirmary, Oxford, to relieve pressure in her brain and, a week later, surgery to remove the tumour.
“Luckily, it was possible to remove the whole tumour,” said Eva, who lives in Lincoln with mum Kirsty, brother Mark, 19, and sister, Isabella, 15.
Biopsy results revealed it was grade 1 (non-cancerous) astrocytoma. Eva had to retake a school year due to the time out for treatment.
“Back at school, I struggled with confidence because of everything I’d been through and I felt isolated because no one else understood what it was like to have a brain tumour,” continued Eva.
After finishing her GCSEs at William Farr School in Welton, she took part in the National Citizen Service (NCS), which boosted her confidence.
“I learned skills such as leadership, teamwork and communication,” said Eva, who now works for the NCS in Lincoln as a mentor.
She also trains as a classical singer and sings at private and public events.
At 19, Eva became Miss Teen Lincoln 2015 and a finalist in Miss Teen Great Britain.
She used her title to find out more about work being done to help people with brain tumours.
“While holding the Miss Teen Lincoln title, I visited a hospice and heard about a child who had been a patient there, terminally ill with a brain tumour.
“That, coupled with my own experience, made me even more determined to help.
“Now I want to use my story to raise awareness about brain tumours and their huge impact on the individual and their families.
“I know that having a brain tumour is truly devastating and living with the consequences can be a struggle.”
Eva is planning fundraising events and has already carried out her first charity photoshoot which took place on Sunday, June 11 and raised over £200.
Now a charity concert is in the pipeline.
Emma Wood, teenage and young adult worker for The Brain Tumour Charity, said:
“We are thrilled to have Eva as one of our new ambassadors and she’s an inspiration for other young people and children living with brain tumours.
“She’s been through the devastating impact of being diagnosed with a brain tumour and how it affects the whole family.
“Now Eva can use that in a positive way to help us raise awareness and support others going through a similar experience.”
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Phase two of the works at Speakers’ Corner in Lincoln is well underway and expected to finish on schedule this summer.
Phase two, which began on Monday, January 11, will see existing paving upgraded, as well as new street furniture being installed.
It will follow the first phase which was completed and open to the public on December 22, with a new bench put in place around the existing London Plane tree, instead of the demolished kiosk.
Speakers Corner bench is in place, but closed off until phase two paving works are finished. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Site setup for phase two is complete, with workers on site currently digging out the existing hard paving standings at the Cornhill.
A large portion of the area has been fenced off while work takes place, leaving just two pedestrian strips on either side to access both the High Street and the Cornhill Quarter.
There is limited access in the area while works take place. | Photo: The Lincolnite
Despite the cold and wet weather throughout January, progress of the paving removal has not been affected.
This means that phase two works are still on course to be finished in summer this year.
It is hoped that once the area is completed, the walkways will blend in with those at Exchange Square, as well as utilising the space for events.
A look at how the finished development will look. | Illustration: City of Lincoln Council
Bin collections in Boston and in parts of East Lindsey will be suspended for the rest of the week due to COVID-related staff absences.
The collections will be suspended from Wednesday, January 27 as a number of East Lindsey District Council’s and Boston Borough Council’s waste crews either have coronavirus or are self-isolating.
Boston Borough Council and East Lindsey District Council said it is not a decision that has been taken lightly and it is necessary for the service to be suspended in some southern parts of the district until Monday, February 1.
From Monday, waste collections are expected to continue as normal.
Households impacted by the disruption can present any accumulated side waste in black refuse sacks alongside their black bins on their next scheduled bin collection.
The following areas are affected:
Boston
Friskney
Eastville
New Leake
Stickford
Coningsby (part)
Coningsby Moorside
Dalderby
Haltham
Mareham Le Fen
Moorby
N Bolingbroke
Revesby
Scrivelsby
Tumby
Tumby Moorside
Tumby Woodside
Wilksby
Wood Enderby
Carrington
Dogdyke
Frithville
Gypsey Bridge
New Bolingbroke
New York
Scrub Hill
Thornton Le Fen
Westville
Antons Gowt
Cowbridge
Fishtoft
Frithville
Langrick
Sibsey
East Keal
East Kirkby
Hagnaby
Keal Coates
Midville
Stickney
Toynton All Saints
West Keal
Victoria Burgess, Assistant Director for Operations at the council, said: “Over the past couple of days it has proved a real challenge to keep the service going with a number of rounds having not been completed due to staff absences.
“With more crews off again today we needed to take action now and suspending the service is the only realistic option available to us to keep everyone safe – something we’ve worked hard to avoid.
“Our workforce has done an amazing job over the past year and they’ve received much praise from the community and are grateful for your continued good wishes.”
Meanwhile, Lincolnshire County Council has agreed to extend their open days at the Household Recycling Centre on Bittern Way for the disposal of black-bagged general waste and recycling only.
The two extra days of opening are Wednesday and Thursday of this week and next, between the hours of 8am and 4pm.
Over 6,000 people living in and around the Scunthorpe have signed up to donate convalescent plasma after having coronavirus.
This comes as NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) is appealing for more potential plasma donors ahead of an upcoming third trial.
Convalescent plasma is the antibody-rich plasma of people who’ve had coronavirus. This can be transfused into people who are struggling to develop their own immune response.
NHSBT wants more people in the area hitting the 28-day recovery mark to sign up.
Over 30 donations have so far been taken at the Scunthorpe donor centre at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road, which opened in December last year.
People can register to donate online here and can donate 28 days after they’ve recovered from coronavirus.
The Lincolnshire centre is located at Berkeley House at Berkeley Business Centre on Doncaster Road in Scunthorpe. | Photo: NHSBT
NHSBT is collecting the plasma for new trials for older people or those with cancer to treat them early in the course of the infection.
Two earlier trials have now stopped for data analysis. The upcoming third trial’s focus will be on those with low immune systems and all donations are tested for COVID antibodies.
The NHS trials of convalescent plasma are the largest randomised controlled trials for this treatment of COVID-19.
Professor Dave Roberts, Associate Medical Director for Blood Donation at NHSBT, said: “More people than ever are now able to help – the time to donate is now.
“We especially need donations from people in Scunthorpe who’ve had hospital care. Men who had hospital care are around six times more likely to have the high antibody levels which might save lives.
“We have completed two trials and analysis is ongoing. We now need to collect plasma for further planned clinical studies. We’re particularly looking at high risk groups such as the elderly and people with cancer.
“Donations are vital to the ongoing lifesaving research, which gives us a better understanding of how we can best treat patients with COVID-19 and help prevent deaths in the future.”
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