A DAD who lost his son to a brain tumour took part in the London marathon to help find a cure for the life-threatening disease.

Frank Lee, aged 42, ran the London Marathon for Brain Tumour Research on April 23 because he felt "no parent should have to go through the pain of losing a child”.

Brain Tumour Research campaigns for the government to invest more in research into brain tumours to speed up new treatments for patients and to find a cure. 

The father of four from Royal Wooton Bassett began running as a way of dealing with the grief of losing his teenage son, Frank James, who died from a glioblastoma in 2019 aged just 15.

A glioblastoma is a fast-growing and aggressive brain tumour which invades the nearby brain tissue. 

The sports-loving teen had previously complained of nausea and severe headaches.

Weeks later he suffered a seizure and his terrified father found him unconscious in his bedroom.

A scan later revealed the shocking discovery of a mass on his brain.

Despite two operations followed by radiotherapy and a year of chemotherapy treatment, the cancer grew once again.

Frank said: “As a family, we knew nothing about this disease until it completely upended our lives.

“There was nowhere else to turn, the standard treatment that comes with a cancer diagnosis didn’t work.

"We looked for a clinical trial but we couldn’t find anything to save our boy."

“Running has been a godsend since losing little Frank. There’s a WhatsApp group we started after he died.

"We called it Team Breed as we are all connected in some way, be it by a friend of a friend or family member. 

"The furthest I had run before this was a half marathon.

"There’s been injuries throughout my training but on the day, running with three friends really helped and they kept me going, we were in it together.

"The different cheer points were great markers for knowing how far we’d run and what was left.

"Every clap and cheer really did spur us on.”

They completed the marathon in under five hours and raised more than £8,000 for the charity.

Carol Robertson, national events manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “It’s desperately sad to read that Frank James was so young when he died of such an aggressive and cruel cancer.

“We’re so grateful to Frank for taking on this huge challenge to help raise funds for our cause.

"Frank’s story is a stark reminder of just how little is known about brain tumours, and why more research is so desperately needed.”