Dear Family and Friends
We were so moved by all the wonderful donations and tributes to Mark and we want to thank everybody for sharing that love with us!
As you know, the donations towards the Brain Cancer Research Fund have passed the unbelievable £4,000 mark and your generosity has been overwhelming.
On behalf of Maddie, Bella and all the family, thank you all so very very much.
Love Jackie X
This site is a tribute to Mark Grice. Mark was only 36 years old when he was diagnosed with a Grade 2 astrocytoma. For the next 13 years, he fought a valiant, courageous battle. He never let his condition hold him back and lived his life to the full, returning to work as an A320 Simulator Instructor – taking on contracts both at home and overseas. He relocated to West Sussex, enjoyed family holidays and even got his driving licence back. We thought he could beat this. But in December of last year we learnt that the tumour was growing. It was so aggressive that we quickly ran out of treatment options and on May 30th he was suddenly taken from us all.
In the national press, we all read about research and imminent breakthroughs in treatment, but the reality is we’re still far from having a cure. We’ve witnessed this on Mark’s journey. Having already undergone open brain surgery in 2005 and radiotherapy in 2015, Mark’s only option was chemotherapy. He was ruled out for immunotherapy and wasn’t well enough for a clinical trial – indeed, there were no active trials underway for him to join had he been well enough. We started to look overseas, but the chemotherapy didn’t work and we sadly ran out of time.
We know that Mark would like his legacy to be to help others fight this disease, so rather than give flowers, we’re asking for donations to Brain Tumour Research. While brain tumours take more lives of those aged under 40 than any other type of cancer, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research is allocated to this disease. Earlier this year, when seeking alternative treatment options, we contacted Professor Pilkington at the University of Portsmouth, a Research Centre of Excellence established by the Brain Tumour Research charity. He and his team are currently looking to repurpose old drugs, such as liquid aspirin, for the treatment of brain tumours. Professor Pilkington took the time to explain the field of research, the limitations of treatments on offer and even invited Mark and the family down to meet with him and his team. That’s why this charity is now so close to our hearts. Indeed, it’s the only national charity in the UK that is dedicated to raising funds for continuous and sustainable scientific research and is a leading voice calling for greater support and action to defeat this devastating illness.
On behalf of Mark and his family, thank you. A kind, caring, compassionate man, he’s been described as a true gentleman on online tribute forums and we think this sums him up perfectly. He lives on in the hearts and minds of all who knew and loved him, especially his two beautiful daughters. Taken far too soon, a beloved father, son, brother and friend. Now flying in the heavens, forever young and never forgotten.
Dear Mark, we will never forget you! time flies by but there is never a day we don’t hold you on our thoughts. ❤️❤️little sis
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