If you’re going to the cinema this summer, you may well hear the iconic “pa pa pa pa” soundtrack as the adverts are screened, and see a short film raising awareness of brain tumour symptoms.
That’s thanks to a new partnership between Pearl and Dean and The Brain Tumour Charity. It’s been championed by one of the advertising company’s employees following his own brain tumour diagnosis.
Jamie White, Deputy Sales Director at Pearl and Dean, has had treatment for a low grade meningioma after experiencing headaches and imbalance when he walked. Initially, he thought it was a hip problem. But he was regularly scuffing his right foot in August 2021, so he did what any other fit and active runner, footballer or golfer would do and went to see a physiotherapist
But exercises and other treatments only helped for a short while. In March 2022 he was referred for MRI and CT scans, and vividly remembers getting the results.
World fell apart
Jamie said: “It was 9 am on 17 March and I was sitting on the sofa in the office when I got a call saying there was a shadow on my brain. Well, my world fell apart. But I was so relieved to hear that it looked like it was a benign tumour.”
Fortunately, surgeons were able to remove the entire six cm mass during a seven-hour operation. In preparation for surgery, Jamie turned to The Brain Tumour Charity’s support services. He had weekly counselling both before and afterwards.
“I found it invaluable to be able to talk to someone who didn’t know me, who I wasn’t worried about upsetting and just have them listen to me for 50 minutes or so each week. They weren’t trying to solve the problem, like friends and family would, they just let me get things off my chest and listened so I could work out the answers myself. I looked forward to our weekly meetings.
Jamie White
“I feel blessed to have had this positive outcome. I’m a member of one of The Brain Tumour Charity’s peer support Facebook groups so I’m all too aware that I’m one of the lucky ones.”
Now Jamie is paying it forward. He has arranged for The Brain Tumour Charity’s ‘Better Safe Than Tumour’ advert to be screened nationwide at cinemas during August, prior to films such as Inside Out 2, Despicable Me 4, Twisters and Deadpool and Wolverine.
Staying positive
Jamie added: “Looking back at what I’ve been through, my advice to anyone else facing a brain tumour diagnosis is to surround yourself with family and friends, try to stay positive and try not to Google your condition – which is really hard – but get proper advice and information.”
“We’re really grateful to Jamie for sharing his story to raise awareness of brain tumour symptoms, and for Pearl and Dean’s support this summer. It may well mean someone gets a faster diagnosis and earlier treatment.”
Sally King, Corporate Partnerships Manager, The Brain Tumour Charity
You can see the advert at Everyman, Curzon, Showcase and other independent cinemas from 2 August 2024. Find your nearest location here