AN ANTIQUES Roadshow expert has made a plea for more research into brain cancer after receiving a devastating diagnosis.
Theo Burrell, 36, was told she had terminal cancer after ending up in A&E with horrific migraines in December 2021.
The glass and ceramics expert from East Lothian had surgery to extend her life after doctors discovered she only had months left to live.
But Theo's experience of undergoing treatment for an incurable condition has left her feeling 'lonely' and 'mentally all over the place'.
The telly star has signed a petition started by Brain Tumour Research, calling on the government to invest more in finding a cure for glioblastoma brain tumours.
The charity is hoping to start a parliamentary discussion about increasing research funding for the disease to £35million a year.
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Theo told Edinburgh Live: "I've signed the petition and encourage others to do the same. It's hard not to feel angry about the whole experience. Brain tumours are so underfunded, and they have such a poor prognosis. Brain cancer seems to be a few steps ahead of us, it's outsmarting us.
"We can get a man on the moon, but we can't cure brain tumours; it's so frustrating that funding is so thin on the ground. So many young people get brain tumours, so we need to care for the next generation. Signing the petition is so important to get the 100,000 signatures, otherwise it suggests people don't care."
The mum-of-one shared that although meds have reduced the amount of pain she is in and given her an appetite again, she feels stressed and lonely going through the cancer treatment.
She added: " In the waiting area, I was the lone young face among lots of older people. When my name was called and I stood up, people would look, expecting one of my parents to be the patient instead of me.
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"It was quite a lonely experience. Physically, I was feeling better but mentally, I was all over the place.
"I hate the wait for the results; I really feel the pressure of it all and I become more stressed and irritable. I used to always live in the future, I was always working on the next auction which was months down the line but now I try to live day to day, and enjoy what I'm experiencing right now, in the present."
Community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, Matthew Price, said: "We are so grateful to Theo for supporting our petition and helping to raise awareness. For too long governments have put brain tumours on the 'too difficult to think about' pile. Five years after the UK Government announced £40million for brain cancer research, just £15million has been spent.
"Patients and families continue to be let down by a funding system that is built in silos and not fit for purpose. If everyone can spare just a few minutes to sign and share, we will soon hit the 100,000 signatures we need and help find a cure, bringing hope to families whose loved ones have been affected by brain tumours."
The UK's Department of Health and Social Care told the BBC they: "invested in every suitable research application made and the funding will continue to be available for further studies to develop new treatments and therapies for brain tumours".
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