Maisie is now lacing up her trainers for the Great Bristol 10K — a powerful tribute to her late father
Nick and Maisie Ball
A Bristol nursing student is preparing to run the Great Bristol 10K in memory of her father, who died following a three-year battle with an aggressive brain tumour.
Maisie Ball, whose father Nick Ball was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2021, will take on the race on Saturday, May 11, in support of Brain Tumour Research. Nick, 47, was rushed to intensive care after suffering a seizure in August 2021, just hours after a routine jog. A scan confirmed he had glioblastoma, a highly aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer.
The diagnosis came on the same day as Maisie’s 16th birthday. Her parents, Nick and Rachel, chose not to share the devastating news immediately to allow her to celebrate the day.
Maisie said: “I remember how brave both my mum and dad were in trying to make things feel normal for me. It’s something I will never forget.
“Losing my dad to a brain tumour was like having the ground pulled out from under me. One minute, he was a strong, steady person, and the next, he was slipping away. It was heartbreaking to watch him change so quickly, and I felt so powerless. I still can’t fully put into words how much I miss him, but I know I want to help raise awareness, so others don’t have to go through the same pain we did.”
Nick and Rachel running a marathon
Nick underwent an awake craniotomy in September 2021. Maisie initially believed the surgery would cure him but later came to understand the cancer was incurable. In April 2023, Nick developed pain in his leg which led to the discovery of a spinal tumour. He was later diagnosed with leptomeningeal disease, a rare condition affecting the brain and spinal cord. Surgery in September 2023 confirmed it was cancerous.
Over the course of his illness, Nick received 45 rounds of radiotherapy and nine rounds of chemotherapy. He died on Saturday, August 3, 2024.
Despite the profound loss, Maisie is determined to honour her father’s legacy. “My dad always told me, ‘I’m a better runner than you,’ when I mentioned running the 10K one day,” she said.
“I’m going to prove him wrong and complete the race for him, and for all the others who are fighting brain cancer.”
Currently training to become a nurse, Maisie is raising funds via her JustGiving page to support Brain Tumour Research, which campaigns for increased funding into treatments and a cure. The charity is pushing for the government and major cancer organisations to increase the national research investment to £35 million annually.
Nick following treatment
Louise Aubrey, community development manager at Brain Tumour Research, said: “We are deeply moved by Maisie’s dedication to raising funds and awareness in memory of her dad, Nick. Brain tumours have one of the lowest survival rates of any cancer, and more funding is desperately needed to change that.
“Maisie’s participation in the Great Bristol 10K is an important step towards increasing awareness and vital funding. We thank Maisie for her strength and commitment to the cause, and we know Nick would be incredibly proud of her.”
Brain tumours kill more children and adults under 40 than any other cancer, yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this disease since 2002. For more information or to support the cause, visit braintumourresearch.org.
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