5 years still standing – Clara’s sky dive for skull base research

by | Jul 31, 2024 | Fundraising | 0 comments

Clara Darcy is commemorating her “5 years still standing” anniversary since her cancer diagnosis and is preparing to take on a sky dive challenge, parachuting from 15,000 feet.

Five years ago, Clara was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer at the base of her skull called a chordoma. She underwent a 14 hour surgery to remove the tumour followed by intensive proton beam radiotherapy.

Only a month after finishing treatment, she began working on a life-affirming play, which is based on the notes and diary she kept at the time. ‘We Should Definitely Have More Dancing’ was inspired by her experiences after being diagnosed and features an actor who plays Neurosurgeon and Centre strategy lead, Professor Omar Pathmanaban, who led her successful operation. Clara is now on a mission to raise funds for research into rare conditions affecting the skull base. 

“I would not still be here if it weren’t for the exceptional care I received from the NHS at every step of the way. It felt incredibly important to share my experiences and lessons learned, particularly as I am very much one of the lucky ones. When you have a near-death experience, you can’t help but come back from it with a whole new perspective on life.”

You can read more on Clara’s Just Giving page, all funds raised will support our research on skull base projects. 

We wish you luck, Clara. 

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