A STOURBRIDGE mum who is battling a life-limiting brain tumour has launched a Christmas appeal to help find a cure for the disease.

Katie Smith, 33, who is an award-winning children's author, aims to raise £5,000 for the Brain Tumour Research charity in time for Christmas, which she will be spending with husband Luke and their 18-month-old son Eli.

The mum-of-one was diagnosed with a grade 2 oligoastrocytoma in 2016 after suffering from debilitating headaches and has endured surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Her illness is the biggest cancer killer of the under 40s and she hopes her fundraising appeal will raise awareness of the disease.

Katie said: "It’s impossible to explain to someone what it’s like to be a mum and know you’re not going to be around when your baby grows up. But I am determined to be here for as long as I can and I want everyone to know how dreadful this disease is.

“It was unimaginable to be diagnosed at the age of 30 as, to me, a brain tumour was synonymous with a death sentence. I’d just come back from my honeymoon with Luke and we had visions of a happy and long life together. But now my goals are to be among the 20% of people who live for more than five years after a brain tumour diagnosis."

She continued: “I want to raise awareness of this devastating disease by launching a Christmas appeal and I hope to inspire people to donate to this vital cause over the festive period. It is such a dire situation to think that brain tumours kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet historically just 1 per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease.”

Kate has experience of raising funds for the charity- after her diagnosis she wrote a children's book, 'The Pumpkin Project', from which all royalties went to the the Brain Tumour Research charity to fight the disease.

Her book also won a literary competition on Lorraine Kelly's TV show.

Carrie Bater, community fundraising manager for Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are extremely grateful to Katie for helping to launch our Christmas fundraising appeal in the Midlands. Katie is a remarkable woman – a much-loved teacher, author and mum – and her diagnosis truly shows how indiscriminate brain tumours are; they can affect anyone at any age.

"I hope people will be touched by her story and give what they can to help this Christmas time. Together we will find a cure.”

To make a donation to Katie's appeal visit: https://www.braintumourresearch.org/our-christmas-wish/katie-smith