Navy veteran who suffered brain tumour braving fundraising walk for charity supporting recovery

A Navy veteran who suffered a brain tumour is braving a fundraising walk in aid of Help for Heroes.

Marc Andrew, a Royal Navy veteran from the Devon village of Highampton, is preparing to tackle the 25km sponsored trek across Dartmoor next September.

The charity provided crucial support to him and his family as he recovered from a rare brain tumour known as cerebellar hemangioblastoma.

His Dartmoor challenge forms part of a wider programme of seven fundraising hikes that Help for Heroes has organised throughout this year.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

Mr Andrew's connection to the charity dates back to 2011, when he fell seriously ill during a Royal Navy deployment to Antarctica.

Following his initial medical assessment in the Falkland Islands, Mr Andrew was transferred to Uruguay, where he underwent life-saving surgery.

Help for Heroes stepped in to coordinate the medical support required to bring him back to the UK.

They also provided counselling and organised both accommodation and transport for his journey home.

The charity's continued assistance proved instrumental in enabling Mr Andrew to resume full duties with the Royal Navy.

Even after he eventually left the armed forces, Help for Heroes maintained its support for both Mr Andrew and his family.

His diagnosis of cerebellar hemangioblastoma, a rare type of brain tumour, had required extensive treatment, yet the charity's intervention ensured he was never without help during his recovery.

Mr Andrew expressed his desire to "repay them for their assistance when I needed it".

LATEST DEVELOPMENTS

• WW2 veteran celebrates 100th birthday with wife of 75 years
• WW2 veteran tells GB News his secret to a long life while celebrating 100th birthday
• 'He's here with me' - WW2 veteran proudly wears twin brother's medals in deeply emotional tribute on Dutch Liberation Day

He noted that "this is the first hike I've taken part in, but I have taken part in a number of fundraising events for Help for Heroes in the past and am a member of the Charity's Band of Brothers".

He explained: "In the past, I have been involved in other fundraising events, including 'shop in a box'; walked a half marathon in between brain surgeries; walked up Snowdon; attended Invictus Games training; and participated in Band of Brothers events to support my contemporaries."

Mr Andrew described the hike series as "such a worthy cause", praising the events for offering participants "a sense of achievement and comradery, all in beautiful countryside."

The Dartmoor trek is the sixth in a series of seven one-day hikes staged by Help for Heroes this year, a programme that kicked off with Scafell Pike in April before moving to Snowdon in May and the Three Peaks Challenge in June.

July saw participants tour 30 military sites across London, while the Jurassic Coast is the destination for August.

The series wraps up in September with both the Dartmoor and Lincolnshire Wolds events.

Siobhan Warren, the charity's event fundraising manager, said: "The series of seven one-day hikes is more than just a fundraiser for our amazing veterans. They're an opportunity to reconnect with nature, meet new friends, and feel a real sense of personal achievement."

Help for Heroes provides physical, mental health, welfare and social support to veterans and their families across all branches of the UK military, encompassing regular forces, reserves and civilians who served under Armed Forces command.

Our Standards: The GB News Editorial Charter