Chairperson

In October 2011, while on holiday, my wife Susan became ill and sent three weeks in hospital in Fuerteventura.  The diagnosis was a stroke although the normal symptoms were not apparent.

After many years of MRI scans including an inconclusive biopsy in 2015 there remained uncertainty as to what was wrong.  A second biopsy was carried out in May 2018 following which we were advised that Susan had an inoperable malignant tumour.  We were offered the normal treatments of radiotherapy and chemotherapy and additionally sought two more opinions in London.

Susan declined treatment on the basis that her quality of life would suffer greatly.  I supported and agreed with her decision.  From December 2018 the effects of her condition became much more noticeable.  Sadly on 14 May 2019 she died in hospital with all of us with her.  She was 62 years old and had run her own ballet school.  The school continues in her name.

We had an association with Brainwaves NI.  I became a committee member in 2019 and subsequently Acting Chairperson in March 2020 with the aim of helping those who are going through the challenges I and others have been through or are going through.