Fife woman takes on step challenge to raise cash for Brain Tumour Research in memory of her sister

Fiona McOwan, 69, is putting her best foot forward by taking part in 10,000 Steps a Day in February for the charity Brain Tumour Research.

Her sister, Catriona McOwan, known to all as Trina, died in August 1995, six years after being diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Now Fiona, who is from Limekilns, is doing what she can to support the research charity.

She said: “Trina was bright, bubbly, and fun to be with. She was a get-up and go girl who loved life, so it was devastating when we were told she had a brain tumour.

"Research for this awful disease is woefully underfunded, so much more needs to be done. Research is vital if we’re going to find better treatments and a cure.”

Trina had been suffering from headaches for three years before her diagnosis.

“She was taking painkillers like they were going out of fashion, but she told the doctor she was fine because she didn’t want to make a fuss,” explained Fiona.

“Trina’s colleagues noticed she was having absence seizures, where she would blank out. When an MRI scan revealed she had an inoperable brain tumour, it all made sense. It explained the headaches, but also the uncharacteristic behaviour she displayed, such as swearing.”

Trina returned to Scotland and moved in with her dad in Edinburgh. She was given steroids to reduce the swelling on her brain, followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Fiona, a yoga teacher, continued: “Although she lost some hair, Trina coped well with the treatment. For a while, she seemed to be much better, and we had some hope but, by 1993, things started to go downhill again. I was disconcerted by her recoveries and having hope, and then having that hope dimmed again.”

On 14 August 1995, Trina died at the Marie Curie Hospice in Edinburgh.

Fiona aims to walk 10,000 Steps a Day throughout February in a bid to raise vital cash for the charity in her sister’s memory.

Katrina Jones, head of community fundraising at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re really grateful to Fiona for taking on the 10,000 Steps a Day in February challenge as it’s only with the support of people like her that we’re able to progress our research into brain tumours and improve the outcome for patients like Trina who are forced to fight this awful disease.”

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.

To support Fiona’s fundraising, visit: http://bit.ly/47AUObD