Keepy-uppies for mum: Daughter’s football fundraiser for brain tumour charity

A seven-year-old girl from Lincolnshire will be attempting 10,000 football keepy-uppies as part of a charity fundraiser, after her mum was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Taylor Jose, from Dowsby, will be taking on Brain Tumour Research’s One Million Keepy Uppy Challenge, which runs between November 18 and December 18, to raise awareness of the devastating disease that took over her mum’s life earlier this year.

Taylor’s mother Samantha, 34, discovered she had a meningioma brain tumour in July 2022, but symptoms began in December 2021, as she booked in an appointment at an opticians following the deterioration of sight in her left eye.

Samantha Jose, 34, went to the opticians after struggles with her vision – it turned out she had a brain tumour. | Photo: Brain Tumour Research

She said: “They could see a change in my eye and thought I may have had glaucoma or multiple sclerosis (MS). I was sent to Pilgrim Hospital in Boston for an MRI scan which revealed a brain tumour.

“I remember it like it was yesterday; I was in total shock and just burst into tears. It was the last thing I was expecting to hear.”

Samantha was then transferred to Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, where a surgeon told her that the tumour could make her go blind, due to it pushing down on her optic nerve.

Samantha with her husband and their two children, Taylor, 7, and Broady, 5. | Photo: Brain Tumour Research

She underwent surgery to remove the tumour on July 4, with 80% of it now gone – but some does remain due to the sensitive location.

Samantha struggles with exhaustion and her memory at times, but lives to tell the tale after being diagnosed with a disease that kills more people under the age of 40 than any other cancer.

Her daughter Taylor is now hoping to spread awareness of the issue, while also raising vital funds for Brain Tumour Research in the process.

Taylor is football-obsessed, could we be looking at a future Lionesses star? | Photo: Brain Tumour Research

The One Million Keepy Uppy Challenge encourages people to contribute 10,000 kick-ups towards an overall target of 1,000,000 – which is a symbolic number as £1 million is how much it costs to fund the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence each year.

Taylor has so far raised £290, soaring past her initial £200 target, and you still have time to donate to the cause. You can do so by visiting the JustGiving page here.

Speaking about Taylor’s football fundraiser, she says: “Taylor has played football since she was three and she loves it, so this is a great challenge for her to get involved in.

“As soon as she gets out of bed, she is doing this challenge for me which is so lovely. I’m really proud of her.”

| Photo: Brain Tumour Research

In the UK alone, 16,000 people are diagnosed with a brain tumour each year, and Brain Tumour Research are calling for an increase in funding to speed up treatments and ultimately find a cure.

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes, in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia, and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

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