In August 2021, Nick Ball, 47, suddenly became confused and went to bed to rest after returning from a routine run. After failing to wake him, his wife Rachel, called an ambulance and Nick was rushed to intensive care at Southmead Hospital after suffering a seizure.
A scan confirmed Nick had a glioblastoma an aggressive and incurable brain tumour. The devastating news came on the day Nick and Rachel’s daughter Maisie was celebrating her 16th birthday, they chose not to tell Maisie, to carry on as normal and celebrate her birthday.
Maisie said: “I remember how brave both my mum and dad were in trying to make things feel normal for me. It’s something I will never forget.
"Losing my dad to a brain tumour was like having the ground pulled out from under me. One minute, he was a strong, steady person, and the next, he was slipping away. It was heartbreaking to watch him change so quickly, and I felt so powerless. I still can't fully put into words how much I miss him, but I know I want to help raise awareness, so others don’t have to go through the same pain we did."
Nick underwent an awake craniotomy in September 2021.
Maisie, who is training to become a nurse, initially believed the surgery would cure her dad.
“I thought after the surgery and treatment, he’d get better. It wasn’t until later that I began to understand the harsh reality that the cancer was incurable," Maisie explained.
In April 2023, Nick began experiencing leg pain that led to the discovery of a spine tumour, later diagnosed as leptomeningeal disease, a rare condition affecting the brain and spinal cord. Further surgery in September 2023 confirmed the tumour was cancerous. Over the course of treatment, Nick underwent 45 rounds of radiotherapy and 9 rounds of chemotherapy.
Tragically, after a three-year battle, Nick died on 3 August 2024.
Despite the immense pain of losing her father, Maisie is determined to honour Nick’s memory and raise funds for Brain Tumour Research by running the Great Bristol 10K on May 11.
“My dad always told me, ‘I’m a better runner than you,’ when I mentioned running the 10K one day,” said Maisie.
“I’m going to prove him wrong and complete the race for him, and for all the others who are fighting brain cancer.”
Just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours since records began in 2002.
Louise Aubrey, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, said, “We are deeply moved by Maisie’s dedication to raising funds and awareness in memory of her dad, Nick. Brain tumours have one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer, and more funding is desperately needed to change that. Maisie’s participation in the Great Bristol 10K is an important step towards increasing awareness and vital funding. We thank Maisie for her strength and commitment to the cause, and we know Nick would be incredibly proud of her.”
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK. It also campaigns for the Government and larger cancer charities to invest more in research into brain tumours in order to speed up new treatments for patients and, ultimately, to 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.
Maisie’s goal is to raise as much money as possible for Brain Tumour Research. To donate and support Maisie in her mission, visit her fundraising page.