Seamus is running the Dublin Marathon this weekend in memory of his mum Anne

Seamus McAteer, 46, from Ballymoney, will run the 26.2-mile course on Sunday to raise money for the charity Brain Tumour Research.

It comes after his mum, Anne McAteer, 75, died from a brain tumour in August 2018.

Seamus, who is a postman who is originally from Strabane in Co Tyrone, first realised something was wrong in May 2018 when he returned home following a knee operation in hospital.

He said: “Mum was staggering all over the place as if she was drunk, but she hadn’t been drinking.

"Then a few days later, she asked me when my operation was, but I had already had it.

“I took her to the doctor; when he asked mum what year it was, she didn’t have a clue.”

On July 11, Anne, mum also to Laura, 41, and Brian, 44, had an MRI scan at Altnagelvin Area Hospital in Londonderry

Seamus said: “It revealed that she had a brain tumour the size of a tennis ball, but mum didn’t have a clue what was going on.

"She had no idea that she had a brain tumour.

“The doctors they said there was nothing they could do and there would be no way back for mum, it was really harsh because, before this, mum had been very fit, and she didn’t have any health issues.”

Anne remained in hospital until August 5, 2018, where she died peacefully with her loving family by her side.

“She only had four months, it all happened so quickly. It is such a devastating disease,” said Seamus who will run the Dublin Marathon to raise money for Brain Tumour Research.

He said: “I want to give something back and I think mum would be as proud as punch.

“The government should be doing a lot more to fund research into brain tumours and more support is needed.

"I’ve seen what it did to my mum, and I don’t want other families to go through the same.

“There has to be a cure out there.”

Brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to brain tumours.

Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research said: “We’re really grateful to Seamus for running the Dublin Marathon for us, and we wish him the best of luck.

"He is raising vital money which will progress our research into brain tumours which will improve the outcome for patients like Anne 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 the 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.

The charity is the driving force behind the call for a national annual spend of £35 million in order to improve survival rates and patient outcomes in line with other cancers such as breast cancer and leukaemia and is also campaigning for greater repurposing of drugs.

To donate to Seamus’s JustGiving page, visit:

justgiving.com/fundraising/seamus-mcateer