A mother, sister, and friend of a teenager who lost his life to an aggressive brain tumour have completed a daring 100-metre abseil to raise funds for vital research aimed at improving patient outcomes.
Ethan Treharne, from Sandhurst, Berkshire, was just 15 years old when he began experiencing severe headaches and slurred speech. He was subsequently diagnosed with a glioblastoma, a highly aggressive form of brain cancer. Despite undergoing multiple surgeries, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and private immunotherapy treatment abroad, nothing could save him. Ethan passed away at the age of 17.
Brain tumours claim the lives of more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer, yet since records began in 2002, only one per cent of national cancer research funding has been allocated to this devastating disease. Determined to make a difference, Ethan’s family established the fundraising group A New Hope for Ethan in support of Brain Tumour Research. To date, they have raised nearly £96,000 to help find a cure for all types of brain tumours and develop kinder, more effective treatments.
On Saturday, April 25, Ethan’s mother Nikki, sister Martha, and family friend Maya Knapp put their courage to the test by abseiling down Portsmouth’s iconic Spinnaker Tower.
Speaking before the challenge, Nikki said: “The tower looks so high! Although I’ve done two sky jumps before, this feels far more nerve-racking. The thought of climbing over the edge and lowering myself down is petrifying. Unlike when I parachute-jumped, I won’t be strapped to an instructor – I’ll be all on my own! “I remember visiting the Spinnaker Tower as a family and having to bribe Ethan just to go up in the lift. He was always terrified of heights. Unlike his adrenaline-junkie siblings, Martha and Finlay, he hated roller coasters and refused to walk over the glass floor at the top of the Tower. Yet, when it came to his illness, Ethan showed incredible bravery. He faced multiple surgeries and gruelling treatments, which left him with epilepsy, sometimes suffering up to seven seizures a day. Despite everything, he continued to live as fully as he could. His strength humbled and amazed us every day.”
Martha Treharne, whose boyfriend Filip Wiktorowski joined the challenge at the last minute, said after her descent: “Unlike Mum, I wasn’t scared at all – just incredibly proud to be honouring my brave brother and raising funds for research to ensure brain cancer patients have access to better treatments in the future.”
It’s not too late to sponsor the trio’s fundraiser. The total raised so far stands at more than £600 and will be doubled thanks to match-funding from the John Laing Group, a construction company where Ethan’s paternal grandfather previously worked.
Letty Greenfield, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to Nikki, Martha and Maya for taking on this incredible challenge in Ethan’s memory. Brain tumours have a devastating impact on families across the UK. One in three people knows someone affected, and nearly 13,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour each year. With so many lives touched, it is vital that we secure sustained investment into research to improve survival rates and give hope to patients and their loved ones.”
