Made the local newspaper recently about my proposed head shave due to take place this Thursday (1st March 2012)
http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Heather-s-going-bald-headed-charity-venture/story-15244294-detail/story.html
Heather's going bald-headed at charity venture
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Thursday, February 16, 2012
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The Cornishman
A FORMER nurse diagnosed with a brain tumour is taking part in a hair-raising event to raise awareness of the condition and its effect on sufferers.
Heather Taylor-Nicholson had to give up a 32-year nursing career after the benign growth was discovered 15 months ago.
Now she is allowing husband David to shave off her shoulder-length hair to raise money for the charities Brain Tumour UK and Meningioma UK.
"The diagnosis had a devastating effect on my life," said Mrs Taylor-Nicholson, 51, from Penzance.
She now has to battle mobility problems and seizures, walks with a stick and endures bouts of fatigue.
"Going out can be terrifying, especially with crowds, with people rushing around you or who don't seem to know you're there," she said.
"My biggest fear is that I'll fall on someone – children especially – or be knocked down, as I can't move out of the way quickly. I have to think about every step, every action and be constantly aware of my surroundings, which is both exhausting and depressing."
One of the main reasons for the head-shave is to highlight the fallout a tumour can have on a person's whole life.
Mrs Taylor-Nicholson has vowed to keep her head shaved throughout March, Brain Tumour Awareness Month.
"As anyone with a chronic, long-term or critical illness will tell you, often the impact an illness can have on day-to-day living and expenses can be every bit as devastating as the illness itself," she said.
"Some will be treated successfully fairly quickly but most will have a long-drawn- out experience of anxiety, frustration, impact on family life and employment, having to battle for financial support in the form of benefits, as well as the travel involved if they're not near a neuro-oncology centre."
She is due to undergo another MRI scan at the end of February to see if there are any changes to the meningioma and whether treatment needs to be started.
The head-shave is set to take place on Thursday, March 1, at 3pm at the London Inn, Causewayhead, Penzance, where her husband is a regular.
For more information and to support Mrs Taylor-Nicholson, visit the website www.braintumouruk.org.uk or her Just Giving fundraising page which can be found at www.justgiving.com/heather-ann-taylor-nicholson
Sponsor forms are also available at the Market Plaice Fish Bar, the Farmer's Arms and the London Inn, all in Causewayhead.
