Southampton Lecturer Turns Personal Diagnosis into Powerful Fundraising Action
Israr Jan-Parker, a 55-year-old university lecturer from Southampton, Hampshire, is stepping up for the third consecutive year to raise vital funds for Brain Tumour Research through its flagship Wear A Hat Day campaign. Diagnosed with a brain tumour and told she had just nine months to live without treatment, Israr has transformed her personal struggle into a mission of hope and support for others.
A Shocking Diagnosis and Life-Altering Journey
Israr's journey began with persistent back pain, which led her to seek help from various professionals, including chiropractors, physiotherapists, and osteopaths. As an active individual who regularly attended gym classes, she noticed her balance deteriorating and her leg becoming stuck in one position, forcing her to give up her fitness routine. By November 2021, her symptoms worsened, with dizziness when bending forward and difficulty walking due to leg locking.
"By the time Christmas arrived, I wasn't feeling myself," Israr recalled. These concerning symptoms ultimately revealed a meningioma that had been growing for 15 years, leading to a 16-hour surgery to remove the mass. The diagnosis was a devastating blow, but it ignited a determination to make a difference.
Raising Funds and Awareness for a Critical Cause
To date, Israr has raised more than £8,500 for Brain Tumour Research, enough to fund three full days of pioneering research. This March, during Brain Tumour Awareness Month, she is amplifying her efforts as more than 1,000 people in the UK will learn they have a brain tumour—a disease that kills more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer.
Israr lives with permanent double vision in her left eye and a severed rotating nerve from surgery, often wearing an eye patch or a special contact lens. "My story is a story of hope," she said. "Through more funding and research, many others will be given that same gift of hope."
Community Events and National Impact
This year, Israr is organising a Curry Quiz Night on Friday, March 27, and has arranged for Southampton Guildhall to light up in pink as part of the charity's Light up the UK campaign to mark Wear A Hat Day. "Wear A Hat Day is such a simple but powerful way to start conversations and raise funds," she explained. "I'm so grateful for everyone who has supported me over the past three years, and I'm asking even more people to get involved this March."
Letty Greenfield, Community Fundraising Manager at Brain Tumour Research, praised Israr's dedication: "We are incredibly grateful to Israr for her continued passion. Raising £8,774 over three years is a phenomenal achievement and will help fund vital research to improve outcomes for patients."
The Urgent Need for Research and Funding
Brain Tumour Research funds sustainable research at dedicated centres in the UK, such as the Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the University of Plymouth, Europe's leading institution for low-grade brain tumour research with a focus on meningioma. The charity campaigns for increased government and cancer charity investment, advocating for a national annual spend of £35 million to improve survival rates in line with other cancers like breast cancer and leukaemia.
With over 100,000 people in the UK living with a brain tumour or its long-term impacts, Israr's efforts highlight the critical need for awareness and action. "Fundraising gives me a sense of purpose," she said. "It means something positive can come from my experience."
