A year on from the death of his grandson Matthew Pullen due to a brain tumour, a Northumberland grandad is set for the emotional honour of taking part in the Queen's Baton Relay ahead of the Commonwealth Games later this summer.
Bedlington's Alan Holmes, 73, will run a leg of the relay in Blyth on July 15. Alan has been a campaigner for charity Brain Tumour Research in honour of Matthew, and even raised £7,500 by swimming 100km in Cullercoats Bay during 2021.
Matthew was 18 when he died. He had been just three when first diagnosed with a brain tumour, but made a good recovery and was in a stable condition for several years. However, in June 2020 doctors found a new tumour.
Read more: Heartbreak as Sunderland dad who started to forget words diagnosed with terminal brain tumour
He underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but around a year later his condition deteriorated and it became clear that his cancer had spread throughout his brain. Matthew died at his Greater Manchester home on September 9 last year, leaving family including brothers Alex, Mark and Samuel, dad Gary and step-mum Claire.
Grandad Alan added: "When Matthew passed away, everything stopped. It’s still not easy for me to talk about as it’s still so painful. I was stunned and really excited to be accepted to be a baton-bearer. I never imagined that I would do something like this, and I’m absolutely honoured by it.
"If Matthew was here, he would have loved it. He would be very excited, and I think he would be proud of me."
During his short lifetime Matthew had been a campaigner and supporter of Brain Tumour Research. He blogged about his illness, spoke with politicians and helped others with similar diagnoses.
Matthew Price, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research said: "We are delighted that Alan’s nomination was accepted for this hugely exciting event. We are very grateful to Alan for all he has done to help support our cause.
"Matthew’s powerful story reminds us that brains tumours are indiscriminate; they can affect anyone at any time. We remain focused on finding a cure, to help prevent more families from having their lives turned upside-down by this terrible disease."
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