0:00:11 > 0:00:13My name is Tom Daley,
0:00:13 > 0:00:14and this is my dad, Rob.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17He was my biggest supporter,
0:00:17 > 0:00:19the driving force behind my career,
0:00:19 > 0:00:22there at every event, cheering me on.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25But most of all, he was my best friend.
0:00:25 > 0:00:29In 2011, my family's world came crashing down.
0:00:29 > 0:00:33Dad had been diagnosed with a brain tumour five years earlier,
0:00:33 > 0:00:36but, despite having successful surgery,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39he was told it had come back and the prognosis was bleak.
0:00:41 > 0:00:42Always the fighter,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46he vowed he would make it to the Olympic Games in 2012.
0:00:46 > 0:00:47It wasn't to be.
0:00:49 > 0:00:52Dad lost his battle in May 2011,
0:00:52 > 0:00:54when he was just 40 years old.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Losing a parent at any age is absolutely devastating.
0:00:59 > 0:01:02You can feel like you've nowhere to turn.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04But the Brain Tumour Charity were an incredible support
0:01:04 > 0:01:08for me and my family during one of the toughest times in our lives,
0:01:08 > 0:01:12and I'm so proud to say that they've supported thousands of people
0:01:12 > 0:01:15around Britain who've been through the same thing as my family.
0:01:17 > 0:01:19Right, let's go. Come on, then.
0:01:19 > 0:01:21I am definitely a busy person.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24When I'm not out dancing,
0:01:24 > 0:01:26then I'm out walking with my dog, Skye.
0:01:26 > 0:01:30Angela is 27 years old, and six years ago,
0:01:30 > 0:01:32she received life-changing news.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35I was in my final year of uni when one night,
0:01:35 > 0:01:39I was just lying in bed and suddenly had this immediate,
0:01:39 > 0:01:42excruciating headache. Just, like, bang.
0:01:42 > 0:01:44You know, out of nowhere.
0:01:44 > 0:01:47I was saying, "Help, something's wrong, but I don't know what."
0:01:47 > 0:01:49So we rang the NHS number
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and they said it was likely a migraine
0:01:52 > 0:01:54but they were going to send an ambulance, just in case.
0:01:55 > 0:01:59Feeling reassured her symptoms were probably stress-related,
0:01:59 > 0:02:02Angela went along to a local hospital to be checked over.
0:02:02 > 0:02:05But as time went on, she began to feel worse.
0:02:06 > 0:02:09I was surrounded by seven doctors, all around my bed.
0:02:09 > 0:02:12And one of them held my hand and said,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14"OK, we've looked at the CT scan
0:02:14 > 0:02:17"and we've realised that you're having a brain haemorrhage."
0:02:17 > 0:02:21And from there, they realised that I had a slow-growing brain tumour.
0:02:21 > 0:02:24And then the doctor said, "In our opinion,
0:02:24 > 0:02:27"the best thing to do would be just to leave it because
0:02:27 > 0:02:30"there'd be far more risks to opening you up and having surgery."
0:02:32 > 0:02:36So I had five years of MRI scans,
0:02:36 > 0:02:40until 2015, when the scan showed
0:02:40 > 0:02:43that it was actually beginning to grow again.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46And at that point, my neurosurgeon said, "Now we need to operate."
0:02:48 > 0:02:51I'd gone from being, you know, Miss Independent
0:02:51 > 0:02:53and travelling here, there and everywhere with my job
0:02:53 > 0:02:57to suddenly not even being able to wash my own hair or put my socks on.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Having six months off after my surgery, it really gave me
0:03:00 > 0:03:02some time to kind of think about things
0:03:02 > 0:03:07and think about the potential symptoms of the past.
0:03:07 > 0:03:13When I was 14, I struggled a lot with weight and I was very nauseous.
0:03:13 > 0:03:17Looking back now, I know that nausea is one of the signs and symptoms.
0:03:17 > 0:03:22Potentially, that was maybe a symptom of the brain tumour.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26The symptoms associated with brain tumours can be
0:03:26 > 0:03:29so easily mistaken with those of other illnesses.
0:03:29 > 0:03:30To tackle this,
0:03:30 > 0:03:33the Brain Tumour Charity launched a campaign called HeadSmart,
0:03:33 > 0:03:36which aims to raise awareness of the common symptoms
0:03:36 > 0:03:39of brain tumours in babies, children and teenagers.
0:03:40 > 0:03:44Since it began, the average time to diagnose childhood tumours
0:03:44 > 0:03:47has been halved from more than 13 weeks to just six and a half.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50And it was because of HeadSmart that Rosie was able to get
0:03:50 > 0:03:53her son, Daniel, treated quickly.
0:03:53 > 0:03:56Daniel was about three when he first became unwell.
0:03:56 > 0:04:01Prior to that, he'd been a very happy, cheerful little boy.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03And it was in the Easter of 2014
0:04:03 > 0:04:06that his personality started to change.
0:04:06 > 0:04:11He began to have tantrums, being quite grumpy.
0:04:11 > 0:04:15I dismissed most of the changes as either, "It's just a little bug,"
0:04:15 > 0:04:17or "He's just growing up,"
0:04:17 > 0:04:19or "It's just him being a normal little boy."
0:04:19 > 0:04:21He really started then to become physically unwell,
0:04:21 > 0:04:24and vomiting in the morning on waking.
0:04:24 > 0:04:27I didn't think anything of it at that time,
0:04:27 > 0:04:29and it was when he vomited again in the morning,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32and that's when I remembered the HeadSmart card
0:04:32 > 0:04:36that I'd seen previously, which made me think about
0:04:36 > 0:04:37the symptoms of a brain tumour.
0:04:39 > 0:04:42You always have it in your head, "Maybe I'm overreacting,
0:04:42 > 0:04:45"but I do really need to take him to the doctor
0:04:45 > 0:04:47"and get him checked out, really."
0:04:47 > 0:04:50And at that point, the doctor said they that would refer him,
0:04:50 > 0:04:54and obviously, that really worried Rosie, when they said that.
0:04:55 > 0:04:59I just really stressed all the symptoms that I knew
0:04:59 > 0:05:02he was showing, and I knew from the HeadSmart campaign.
0:05:02 > 0:05:06And they immediately sent him for a CT scan.
0:05:06 > 0:05:07I think it was half an hour later
0:05:07 > 0:05:09they sat us down and told us what it was.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11And I went from being, trying to be the,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14"Oh, it's all going to be fine," to being a complete wreck.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16I was a mess.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19Daniel's tumour was the size of an adult's fist
0:05:19 > 0:05:22and had caused a build-up of fluid on his brain.
0:05:22 > 0:05:25The doctors had to rush him into surgery within hours
0:05:25 > 0:05:26to remove the growth.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30Your job as a parent is to protect your kids from anything
0:05:30 > 0:05:32that might come along in their life and hurt them.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34And it's just that realisation of knowing
0:05:34 > 0:05:37that you're helpless in this situation,
0:05:37 > 0:05:40there isn't anything you can do to make it better for them.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46The early diagnosis of brain tumours can save lives
0:05:46 > 0:05:48and prevent serious disability.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51Daniel's story is proof that HeadSmart has helped people
0:05:51 > 0:05:54to spot the signs and get their children the treatment they need.
0:05:56 > 0:05:58And now, the charity wants to do more.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01Here at Edinburgh University, Dr Paul Brennan is heading up
0:06:01 > 0:06:05pioneering research funded by the Brain Tumour Charity.
0:06:05 > 0:06:08We know the HeadSmart campaign has been a great success.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10We're hoping to be able to achieve the same impact for adults
0:06:10 > 0:06:13with brain tumours, and the funding from the Brain Tumour Charity
0:06:13 > 0:06:15is going to help us to achieve that.
0:06:15 > 0:06:18We're using patient data from across the UK to really understand
0:06:18 > 0:06:20the spectrum of the problem of early diagnosis.
0:06:20 > 0:06:24We like to see a time in the future when patients can be confident
0:06:24 > 0:06:26that when they go to their general practitioner
0:06:26 > 0:06:27or to the hospital with symptoms,
0:06:27 > 0:06:30that those people who are most likely to have brain tumours
0:06:30 > 0:06:32have the investigations as quickly as possible,
0:06:32 > 0:06:34and that that leads to earlier treatments
0:06:34 > 0:06:36and hopefully better outcomes.
0:06:36 > 0:06:37I can say without a shadow of a doubt,
0:06:37 > 0:06:41if it wasn't for the fact that I'd seen the HeadSmart card,
0:06:41 > 0:06:45Daniel wouldn't be running around, playing with his sisters now.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50They saved our little boy's life, and if they didn't do what they did,
0:06:50 > 0:06:53Daniel probably wouldn't be here now.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56Daniel's latest appointment, we were told that his scan was great, it was
0:06:56 > 0:07:00all clear again, they're happy the tumour's not going to come back.
0:07:00 > 0:07:03So he has basically been given the all clear, really.
0:07:03 > 0:07:08I'm so glad that my mum knew about HeadSmart,
0:07:08 > 0:07:10and they made me better.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Keen to help others after her own experience, Angela has become
0:07:16 > 0:07:19a staunch campaigner for HeadSmart along with her friend, Natalie,
0:07:19 > 0:07:23and together, they hand out cards to local pharmacies and opticians.
0:07:23 > 0:07:25We got some up-to-date HeadSmart cards.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28We actually met at a support group for young people going
0:07:28 > 0:07:30through things like brain tumours.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34We kind of became friends and became a force for fundraising
0:07:34 > 0:07:35and awareness raising, as well.
0:07:35 > 0:07:37These are aimed at...
0:07:37 > 0:07:40These HeadSmart cards have saved, so many lives already
0:07:40 > 0:07:43and I just get so important to get the message out there
0:07:43 > 0:07:48and also to stop other people going through the same as what
0:07:48 > 0:07:50me and Angela went through.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52You never know who's going to be at the receiving end of the card
0:07:52 > 0:07:54and what the impact would be.
0:07:54 > 0:07:58Over 100,000 people in Britain live with a brain tumour.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02And, speaking from first-hand experience, it's devastating.
0:08:02 > 0:08:05But together, we can defeat the disease.
0:08:05 > 0:08:09With your help, we can fund vital research, reduce diagnosis times,
0:08:09 > 0:08:12and one day, stop families from wondering, what if?
0:08:12 > 0:08:14My dad couldn't be saved,
0:08:14 > 0:08:18but there are people out there like Angela and Daniel who can.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21Please help this great charity and donate now.
0:08:22 > 0:08:24To give by phone, call...
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Calls are free from mobiles and landlines.
0:08:33 > 0:08:36Texts cost £10 plus your standard network message charge,
0:08:36 > 0:08:39and the whole £10 goes to the Brain Tumour Charity.
0:08:39 > 0:08:41For full terms and conditions,
0:08:41 > 0:08:44or to make a donation online, visit the Lifeline website.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50Or, if you would like to post a donation,
0:08:50 > 0:08:53please make your cheque payable to the Brain Tumour Charity
0:08:53 > 0:08:55and send it to...
0:08:56 > 0:08:59..writing "The Brain Tumour Charity" on the back of the envelope.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Thank you so much.