Julie Parton, whose son Ben died of glioblastoma in 2019 aged 12, says she has seen "very little progress" in brain cancer treatment since his death. She praised swimmer Archie Goodburn's emotional BBC plea about inoperable tumours, which prompted Andy Burnham to offer a meeting. Brain Tumour Research warns that under 1% of cancer research funding is spent on brain tumours and calls for urgent investment to improve outcomes. Parton continues to campaign to keep her son's memory and the issue in the spotlight.
“We Need Faster Progress”: Mother Urges Accelerated Brain Cancer Research After Swimmer’s Emotional Plea
Julie Parton has been raising awareness about the disease since the death of her son [BBC]
Julie Parton says she has seen "very little progress" in brain cancer treatment since her son Ben died of a glioblastoma in 2019, aged 12. Ben was diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma and died eight months after his diagnosis.
Parton, from Cannock, Staffordshire, has made it her mission to keep brain tumours in the public eye. She told BBC Midlands Today she had "goosebumps" after watching swimmer Archie Goodburn make an emotional on-air appeal about his own inoperable tumours on BBC Breakfast.
"Watching his interview gave me goosebumps. It brought everything to the forefront with what we've been going through with Ben," Parton said. "I just thought how amazing it was to be talking about this."
Goodburn called on decision-makers to "give us a chance to fight for our lives," and his plea prompted Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham to offer a meeting. Parton said she hopes the renewed public attention will accelerate research and the development of new treatments.
Dr Karen Noble, Chief Executive of the Brain Tumour Research charity, praised Goodburn for raising awareness and urged greater investment in research. She highlighted that less than 1% of cancer research funding is directed to brain tumours — a share she described as "not nearly enough" for the ninth-most common cancer in the UK.
Ben, left, pictured with twin brother Jack, died when he was 12 years old [Family]
"For a cancer that takes more lives of people under 40 and children than any other cancer — we need to change that," Dr Noble said.
Parton explained that campaigning is also her way of keeping Ben's memory alive. "He knew he wasn't going to make it and he didn't want people to forget him. My way of remembering him is by doing all these interviews and bringing awareness to the forefront," she said.
Two weeks after Ben's funeral, his twin brother Jack was diagnosed with leukaemia; Jack has since recovered and is now cancer-free. Parton said Jack thought Goodburn had been brave to speak openly about his condition.
Campaigners and families affected by brain tumours say more funding, faster clinical research and earlier access to promising treatments are urgently needed if outcomes are to improve for patients of all ages.
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