Eleven-year-old Harrison Hawkins from Weston-super-Mare is on a heartfelt mission to raise money in memory of his late cousin, Ethan Treharne, who lost his battle with an aggressive brain tumour at just 17 years old.
Ethan fought bravely through three surgeries, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and sought private immunotherapy treatment in Germany before passing away in 2021. Inspired by his cousin’s courage, Harrison has dedicated himself to fundraising for A New Hope for Ethan, a group supporting the Brain Tumour Trust.
Last Saturday, October 4, Harrison raised £170 selling tombola tickets at the Grand Pier, where his grandmother works. “Ethan was older than me, but I remember him well. We both loved sports, especially football,” Harrison shared. “Since he passed, I’ve helped at the annual Sellebrity Soccer matches to honor his birthday and volunteered as a ball boy and charity supporter.”
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The Brain Tumour Trust reports that around 16,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with brain tumours each year, covering a wide range of more than 100 types, which makes finding effective treatments challenging.
Harrison’s fundraising event received lively support from the Grand Pier mascot Dani the Donkey, his friend Liam Craemer, and his grandparents Kari and Scott Hunter.
Ethan’s mother, Nikki Treharne, expressed pride and gratitude for Harrison’s dedication. “It’s wonderful to see him take on his own fundraising efforts. The support from the Grand Pier team has been incredible—from facilitating events to helping fund Ethan’s private treatment in Germany with a £21,000 charitable donation.”
The Grand Pier owner, Kari Hunter, also donates space and organizes fundraising quizzes that have raised over £10,000 for A New Hope for Ethan. For Brain Tumour Awareness Month, the pier is lit up in Ethan’s memory as part of the Light Up the UK campaign.
Letty Greenfield, Community Development Manager at Brain Tumour Research, praised the efforts: “Brain tumours claim the lives of one in three children who die of cancer. Research funding is critical to improving outcomes and offering hope to affected families.”
Harrison’s next fundraising quiz is on Saturday, October 18, at 7 pm in the Grand Pier’s Regency Suite. Teams of up to eight can participate for £3 per person.
For those wishing to support A New Hope for Ethan, donations can be made online.