One man’s epic 180-mile journey in memory of his brother and ‘best friend’

The brother of a fit and active man who died of a brain tumor has followed in his footsteps by taking on a tough physical challenge to raise money in his memory. Luke Sidwell, 28, from Nuneaton, has now raised almost £4,000 for Brain Tumor Research, a charity which funds research to find a cure for the devastating disease.

He undertook an epic 180-mile cycling and hiking journey to scale Scafell Pike in the Lake District and Snowdon in Wales, and traveled between the two. His brother Scott passed away in June 2022, aged 27, less than a year after his diagnosis.

Scott was known for running marathons, entering Tough Mudders, and playing football.

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Luke said: “Scott and I were very close. We were only 11 months apart and in the same year at school, so people often thought we were twins.

“I feel like I’ve not only lost my brother, but my best friend. Before Scott was diagnosed, I wasn’t paying attention to brain tumors. Unfortunately, it’s too late for him, but I hope the money I donated will change his life. and will contribute to change in the future.”

Scott, who lived in Fulham and owned a robotics engineering firm, had suffered from blurred vision and excruciating headaches.

He was diagnosed with glioblastoma, which has an average survival prognosis of 12 to 18 months, and underwent surgery, followed by radiation and chemotherapy.

But he lost his ability to walk and the cancer spread to his spine.

Following the fundraising, Luke, a materials scientist for Rolls Royce, and his partner Laura Davis were invited to the charity’s center of excellence at Queen Mary University of London.

They were able to see how the money will support scientists’ research into brain tumors and visited the Wall of Hope, where there is a plaque dedicated to Scott.

Luke said: “It’s encouraging to hear from scientists about the work being done in their quest to find a cure, which can’t come soon enough.”

Brain tumors kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer.

Louise Aubrey, from Brain Tumor Research, said: “We are truly grateful to Luke for his incredible support and generosity in memory of his brother.

“We hope the visit to our center of excellence provided a useful insight into everything we do to improve treatment options for patients and ultimately find a cure.”

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