The Edward Dyson Fund

Edward's story

Edward's first symptoms came in March 2007, six months after his marriage to Victoria and weeks after the confirmation that he was to be a father. While playing football with friends, Edward was seen to move in circles to his left and collapse on the floor. The diagnosis came in April, when it was suggested that the brain tumour was not malignant. It soon became apparent that it was.

Able to receive both radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Edward was given fantastic treatment by teams in London and Kent hospitals. By the summer of 2008, Edward appeared to be on the road to recovery; the birth of Harry the previous November had given him a new determination and he oozed positive energy; he was able to begin pursing some of his lighter outdoor activities and regularly took Harry for short bike rides and long walks. Shortly after Harry's first birthday and Edward's thirtieth, on a Christmas family skiing trip, his health took a turn for the worse and Edward was admitted to hospital in late December 2008. Diagnoses were varied and confusing, but it became clear that Edward was deteriorating rapidly: once a fit and active young man, he was reduced to communicating through hand pressure and eye movement and unable to function without help. Edward's family moved him from Guy's Hospital in London to a family holiday cottage on the white cliffs of Dover where he was able to spend his last days surrounded by family and those he loved. Early on Friday 13th February 2009, Edward died.

Although cut short, Edward's life was a blessed and genuinely full one, and his positive attitude throughout his ordeal was truly inspiring. Harry is developing into an energetic little boy and displays many of Edward's characteristics; the similarities are startling and a source of comfort and real joy to all the family.

The help received from The Brain Tumour Charity was enormous for Edward's wife and his mother; it is something the family will never forget. The work the Charity does is ground-breaking and hugely important. It really is shocking how little the world seems to know about brain tumours. The aim of the Fund is to raise money for The Brain Tumour Charity in Edward's name so that they can continue to help families like ours and uncover some of the unanswered questions.

Who well lives, long lives; for this age of ours should not be numbered by years, days, and hours.
Guillaume de Salluste Du Bartas, Divine Weeks and Works, 1578

You can read more about past fundraising events and donate to The Edward Dyson Fund here: www.justgiving.com/inmemoryof-EdwardDyson/

Edward died on 13th February 2009 at the age of 30, after battling a brain tumour for two years. He was survived by his wife, Victoria and their 15-month old son, Harry.

Following his death, his family set up a friends group in his name, within the The Brain Tumour Charity, with the aim of raising money and awareness to help the charity continue it's ground-breaking and hugely important work in helping people and their families affected by brain tumours, and to one day help find some answers that will change the devastating effects of this disease.

Two years after Edward died, the group exceeded any initial fundraising expectations through sponsorship, donations and gift aid to raise over £27,000 in Edward's name. A further ten years has seen the total rise to over £70,000 which has made the group ever resolute in continuing to raise money for this important cause.

We are so grateful for the sterling efforts made by his friends, family and friends of the family who have been critical in helping to keep this going and we always welcome any new fundraising/awareness raising ideas or just donations in loving memory of Edward.

Thank you.

• Throughout March 2020 - Brain Tumour Awareness Month - Hannah Guy, Edward’s cousin, donned her 10k vest once again to walk, run or cycle 10km every day!! After completing the heroic challenge last year, this year Hannah powered through a global pandemic to raise £1,350 ... thank you to everyone who supported her and huge well done Hannah!
• Throughout the year, Vicky Dyson and her colleagues at Hays Travel in Deal, will be raising money for the Brain Tumour Charity. They began by raising £100 with a cake sale in March. Thank you all
• On 28 April 2019, Mark Sankey, a friend of Edward's family, will be running the London Marathon. This is Mark's first marathon and we're thrilled that he has chosen to raise funds for The Brain Tumour Charity. Good luck Mark, we'll be cheering you on
• Throughout March 2019, Hannah Guy, Edward's cousin, completed 10km every day, walking, running, biking - all while wearing a 10kg weighted vest! Hannah has completed this amazing challenge in memory of our beautiful Edward, 10 years on since he died, to raise awareness and money for this amazing charity. 31 days in March = 310km raising over £1,700! Well done Hannah, and thank you to everyone who supported her!
• Thank you to Tim and Sally Waite, and the Downs Sailing Club for organising an On Your Bike day in October 2018, which raised a fantastic sum of £1,574.21 for the BTC. Thank you also to all the people who gave talks at the event, and everyone who helped to support the day.
• Each year, Edward's parents, Rosemary and Owen Dyson host coffee mornings during Brain Tumour Awareness months. Thanks to the generosity of local friends and all who come along each year to help keep the cause in mind, they continually raise a fantastic amount.
• Through the period of 2015-16, Henry Dyson's employer, Lockton, made The Brain Tumour Charity its charity of the year. Lockton Associates from around the UK went on to raise over £170,000 - a truly outstanding amount!
• Ed's friend Ashley Breeze continues to undertake various heroic sporting endeavours, with a calendar full of triathlons, marathons and an Iron Man in 2016 with Henry Dyson, Edward's brother.
• In September 2015, Rosemary & Owen Dyson raised £150 from table-top sales in their front garden.
• Ashley Breeze successfully received a £1,000 grant to The Brain Tumour Charity from Enterprise Holdings Foundation Board for undertaking multiple sporting challenges in 2015! He went on to receive another £1,000 from the same company for taking part in the Bristol 2 Bath marathon. Thanks Ash for all the fantastic events and fundraising you've done for The Brain Tumour Charity!
• Many thanks to Enterprise Holdings Foundation Board which has donated £1,000 to The Brain Tumour Charity in support of Ashley Breeze, Edward's friend who undertook the Paris Marathon on 6th April 2014. Thanks Ash!
• Thank you to all the staff at Advanced Health and Care who helped to raise £235.50 during 2013 for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of Edward.
• During the year, Edward's cousins Sian, Rhun and Elin have been raising money at car boot sales in south Wales for The Brain Tumour Charity, also in memory of their aunt Beryl, and their latest tally came in at £75.
• Throughout the 2012-13 academic year Edward's old school, Sir Roger Manwood's Grammar School in Sandwich, Kent made The Brain Tumour Charity its charity of the year and raised an incredible £9,700 during the course of the year through fantastic fundraising events and schemes. Thank you to all the pupils, teachers and friends who worked so hard to achieve such an impressive sum.
• On 19th July 2013 a Pamper Evening was held at Betteshanger Social Club in Kent. Local businesses hosted stalls selling tasters of massages, beauty treatments and products, tarot card readings plus a raffle, tombola and art & craft stalls. Tickets sales and donations on the night raised a fantastic £808.69. Thank you to everyone who made it a great evening.
• On 15th June 2013 the Edward Dyson Supporter Group raised £357.60 through an all day tomobola and collection at the Sainsbury's store in Deal. Thank you to all the generous shoppers who played the tombola or donated to the collection pot, and also to Sainsbury's for letting us host the stall.
• On 3rd - 6th May 2013 Edward's friends, Ash Breeze, Sam and George Cullis and Ben Gorringe cycled 280 miles from Peckham to Padstow and raised £700 for The Brain Tumour Charity in memory of Ed. Thanks to all the boys for such a great effort.
• Throughout 2013, Edward's grandmother Carmella Fryer, continues to raise a regular flow of money through coffee mornings with her friends in memory of Edward.
• Thank you to all those at Advanced Computer Software, Edward's previous workplace, who held a dress down day in March 2013 and raised £189.04 for The Brain Tumour Charity.
• Thank you to Edward Cooke, a friend of Henry Dyson, Edward's brother, and the Rowse Family Trust for an extremely generous donation of £4,000 to The Brain Tumour Charity.
• On 21st October 2012, Edward's brother, father and friends Henry Dyson, Owen Dyson, George Wood and Michael Voice completed their first full marathon in Amsterdam. Congratulations on a fantastic achievement and thanks to all of you for raising over £1,550 for the charity in memory of Edward.
• On the 12th October 2012 a quiz night was held at St Mary's School, Deal for Rosemary Dyson's Deal to Paris cycle ride and raised £586 for The Brain Tumour Charity. A big thank you to all who came and made the evening a great success.
• On 7th October 2012 Ed's friends Ashley Breeze and Andy Bracegirdle completed the Budapest Marathon and Sam Cullis completed the Windsor Half Marathon in memory of Ed.
• On the 16th September 2012 Rosemary Dyson, Edward's mother, cycled (and walked up hills) from Deal to Paris. She successfully arrived in Paris on the 20th September in one piece. Thank you for raising over £2,000 and congratulations on your arrival in Paris.
• On 8th July 2012, Edward's brother's girlfriend Vanessa Carrillo, ran the British London 10k. This was Vanessa's first run which she completed in a very respectable time, raising money for SDBTT in memory of Edward. Thank you and congratulations Vanessa.
• On 14th June 2012, Edward's aunt and uncle Sue and Kevin Timmis walked the West Highland Way and raised over £700 for SDBTT in memory of Edward. Thank you and congratulations on this achievement Sue and Kevin.
• On 15th April 2012, Ed's friend Ashley Breeze ran the Brighton Marathon, completing another in a series of runs raising funds for the SDBTT in memory of Ed. Congratulations and thank you Ash.
• On 1st April 2012, Edward's brother, father and brother-in-law, Henry Dyson, Owen Dyson and Byron Vincent ran the Sussex Marathon, all in very respectable times for possibly the hardest, hilliest marathon they could have chosen for their first one. All will be aiming to join a fellow runner who was clocking up his 800th marathon!
• In the second week of February 2012, friend of Edward's family Tim Waite conquered Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and chose to raise money for SDBTT in memory of Edward. Tim successfully undertook this spectacular challenge with a retired GP, so in good hands and raised an incredible £878! You can still sponsor Tim at his fundraising page here Tim Waite Conquering Kili.