Family to meet minister about brain cancer research

A family is calling for increased investment in brain cancer research after the death of their teenage son.

Max Hall, 14, from Corby, was diagnosed with an "incurable" brain tumour last year and died in August.

His family will meet the health minister for rare diseases, James Frith, in Westminster on Wednesday, to discuss commitments on annual funding for research as well as targets to ensure rare tumours receive the same attention as other cancers.

"We need to bring [specialist] treatment [to the UK]," said Max's mother Jackie, speaking to BBC Radio Northampton.

"If we can't, then there needs to be some help to get others there, rather than relying on public donations and fundraising."

In September, Prime Minister Andy Burnham paid tribute to Max, saying the teenager's death was "devastating news".

Following a post on a Facebook page set up to support the Halls, the prime minister agreed that a health minister would meet with the family in October.

Hundreds of mourners attended the funeral of the teenager in August alongside Max's parents, Jackie and Stephen, and siblings George and Hope.

After being told Max would receive radiotherapy and chemotherapy in the UK, the family sought alternative treatments in Germany.

His mother said doctors had warned that the treatments were unlikely to work for his rare tumour type, and with little support available, the family researched other options themselves.

Max could not fly on a commercial aircraft because of the risk of a seizure, so more than £100,000 raised through donations and fundraising was used to pay for a low-altitude flight to Germany for specialist care.

"We truly believe [that treatment] gave him a bit of extra time because he was given two to three months at the beginning of March and he was still here in August," his mother added.

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