![\"Brianna](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/unnamed-2-1-e1749823286307.jpg\")
<\/p>\nMost teenagers dream of celebrating their 16th birthday with a big party, but Brianna Garner had something much bolder in mind.<\/p>\n
Instead of a traditional Sweet 16, Brianna jumped from a plane 15,000 feet in the sky, to raise funds for the hospital that successfully treated her mother\u2019s eye cancer.<\/p>\n
Brianna\u2019s mother, Christine, was diagnosed with ocular cancer five years ago. Christine had experienced a pain behind her right eye for quite a while, making her think she needed new glasses. Following a trip to her local opticians, Christine was told to visit her GP, who then referred her to St Paul\u2019s Eye Unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.<\/p>\n
After being referred to the specialist team at St Paul\u2019s Eye Unit, tests revealed a large tumour had been developing.<\/p>\n
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In January 2019, Christine underwent a 45-minute operation to remove the tumour, and this also involved removing her right eye. Christine has clinic appointments every six months to check her eye socket and scans to look for any potential spread of her cancer.<\/p>\n
Now, Brianna wants to give back to the hospital that gave her family hope.<\/p>\n
She said:<\/p>\n
\u201cThe team at the Royal saved my mum\u2019s life. I wanted to do something meaningful for my birthday, something that would help other families facing similar battles.<\/p>\n
\u201cI also wanted to raise greater awareness of eye cancer. When my mum was diagnosed, we didn\u2019t even know that there was such a thing. My mum\u2019s cancer meant that she had to have her eye removed, so contending with the cancer, loss of an eye, and a young family, was very challenging.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
Brianna has set up a fundraising campaign which has so far raised more than \u00a32,000 to support cancer research and patient care at St Paul\u2019s Eye Unit.<\/p>\n
![\"Brianna](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/unnamed-1-1-e1749823295858.jpg\")
\nProfessor Heinrich Heimann, Ocular Oncology Surgeon, at St Paul\u2019s Eye Unit at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital, said: <\/p>\n
\u201cWe are incredibly proud of Brianna. Her courage and generosity are truly inspiring, and her efforts will make a real difference to the lives of future patients.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur aim is to save the eye and vision, but unfortunately there are cases like Christine\u2019s where the tumour is too large for radiotherapy to be a success. The only possible course of action was to remove the eye to save her life.\u201d<\/p>\n
Support Brianna\u2019s fundraising for cancer research and St Paul\u2019s Eye Unit here<\/a>. Find out what\u2019s good up North on our new platform, The Northern Guide.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/p>\n From the best hotels, beauty spots, days out, food and more up North \u2013 visit\u00a0thenorthernguide.com<\/a>\u00a0and follow The Northern Guide on Instagram\u00a0HERE.<\/a><\/p>\n
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