The parents of Laura Nuttall, an inspirational alumna who died of brain cancer in May 2023, have made a generous gift of £20,000 in memory of their incredibly special daughter.
Mark and Nicola Nuttall have donated £20,000 in Laura’s name to the Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre. This innovative partnership between The University of Manchester, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre and the NHS helps to fund vital research into brain cancer.
The Centre aims to develop new treatments and implement optimal care pathways, to provide better outcomes and transform the lives of patients living with neurological diseases.
Laura studied Politics, Philosophy and Economics at the University of Manchester, graduating in 2022. Four years earlier, Laura had been diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme – an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer. She was given only 12 months to live.
Laura began the standard treatment protocol – three months of radiotherapy and a further 12 months of chemotherapy. Her family discovered an innovative new treatment in Germany, and with the help of donations from friends, family and an online fundraiser, Laura was able to start the immunotherapy.
Laura returned to her studies, joining The University of Manchester whilst continuing chemotherapy and travelling to Germany for treatment. Despite these immense challenges, and the added stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, Laura graduated with a 2:1. She attended her graduation ceremony accompanied by her enormously proud mum Nicola, sister Grace, and dad Mark.
Whilst balancing her studies alongside her gruelling treatment for cancer, Laura displayed incredible positivity and embarked on an extraordinary bucket list: meeting Michelle Obama, driving a London tube train, and commanding a royal navy warship.
Laura was a Young Ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity, campaigning to spread awareness of brain tumour symptoms and encouraging anyone with concerns to seek medical advice. She was passionate about changing the future for those also affected by brain cancer.
Laura died in May 2023, five years after her diagnosis.
Her parents, Mark and Nicola, are now continuing Laura’s legacy.
The Be More Laura Foundation | Laura Nuttall’s Glioblastoma story was launched under the umbrella of Prism The Gift Fund (reg charity number 1099682). The Foundation aims to support researchers as they search for better treatments and ultimately a cure for glioblastoma.
Brain tumours are the biggest cancer killers of children and adults under 40, yet in the UK, this deadly cancer receives only 2% of the total cancer spend. The Be More Laura Foundation works with larger charities such as The University of Manchester, The Brain Tumour Charity and Brain Tumour Research to raise more awareness around the condition, and to tackle the issue of underfunding.
To find out more about the symptoms of brain tumours, visit headsmart_symptoms_card.pdf (thebraintumourcharity.org). You can make your own donation to research at Manchester here.