A BRAIN tumour patient who raised tens of thousands of pounds was recently remembered and commemorated at the research centre where he channelled his fundraising.

The family of Dan Wiggins, who grew up in Tavistock, gathered at the Brain Tumour Research Centre in London on July 13 to honour Dan’s memory.

Dan, who was brought up in Tavistock where his parents still live, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in 2006 aged 30. In 2009, after enduring a variety of treatments, he was told that the tumour had become high grade and that he would need regular chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy.

Having discovered that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, Dan committed himself to raising awareness and funds for the Brain Tumour Research Campaign (BTRC) — a member charity of pioneering Brain Tumour Research. 

In 2010 Dan organised and led a team of cyclists, which included his mother Rosalind and his wife Lucy’s brother, Ben Emmett, the 900 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End, raising an awe-inspiring £60,000.

After further surgery in 2015, life seemed to be getting back to normal for Dan, but in early September, while he was doing what he loved best – sailing, Dan collapsed and was found in the water. He was taken to hospital where he died a few days later, aged just 39.

His family have vowed to continue his work, with mum Rosalind having recently completed her fourth fundraising cycle ride from Paris to London.

Dan’s wife Lucy, his father and mother, Robert and Rosalind, brother Joshua and mother-in-law and brother-in-law, Helen and Ben Emmett, recently placed tiles in Dan’s memory on the Wall of Hope at the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at Imperial College, London.

They were given a tour of the research facility at Hammersmith Hospital and heard about the work carried out there from lead scientist Dr Nelofer Syed, who said he remembered Dan well and all the questions he would ask.

The family also listened to Kevin O’Neill, the leading neuro-surgeon at Charing Cross Hospital where Dan was treated, who told them about how the research work was being translated into new surgical tools. 

Rosalind said: ‘Dan was committed to help raise awareness and his campaign to raise money for research was incredibly important. Somehow he always managed to remain positive and, more than anything he wanted to give hope to others. Dan would say we need to focus on improving research technology and public awareness and look to the future for people who are still alive and help them extend their life expectancy.

‘An increase in funding for research into brain tumours is vital if we are to prevent other families enduring the pain we live with every day.’

BTRC and Brain Tumour Research are campaigning to increase the national spend on research into brain tumours from £30-million per year to £35-million as just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to the disease.

Brain Tumour Research has four research centres of excellence in the UK, including one at Plymouth University.