A County Durham woman who was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumour last year is taking part in the Great North Run.

Rachael Booth, who ran former Darlington MP Peter Gibson’s office, is raising funds for The Great North Children’s Hospital in Newcastle.

She will take on the world-famous 13.1-mile half-marathon across Tyneside with over 50,000 others on Sunday.

Rachael, who is from Sacriston, said she began suffering from severe headaches and migraines in 2022.

She said: “I was baffled, the migraines continued to get worse and I developed a constant pain in the left-hand side of my neck all the way to my fingertips.

“I went back to the doctors and asked for an MRI scan. Two months later, on Tuesday, September 19, 2023, I went for an MRI scan at Bishop Auckland Hospital.

“Later that day, I received a call, asking me to attend the University Hospital of North Durham as soon as possible. The following day I was diagnosed with a brain tumour.”

Rachael said she was too concerned to begin with as a family friend with a brain tumour had it removed and was “living her life as normal”.

She said: “I knew I’d have to have brain surgery but I was relieved that we could now deal with the issue that had been causing me so much pain.

“It wasn’t until the doctor informed me that it wasn’t just one tumour, it was multiple and that they were all embedded in my brain, meaning that they couldn’t be removed, that the severity of my situation dawned on me.”

Rachael has undergone radiotherapy and is still having chemotherapy.

She was undergoing fertility treatment and hoped to start a family with her then-husband.

She said: “My consultant offered for me to have an egg extraction before the treatment began or in between the two treatments.

“I declined the offer.

“I decided it didn’t feel right to bring a child into the world knowing that I might not be here to raise them.”

“I did, however, want to make a positive contribution to children’s lives and, with a little help from my friend who was training on the Paediatric Intensive Care Unit at the time, I decided to raise awareness and funds for the best children’s hospital in the North East, The Great North Children’s Hospital.”

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Rachael is being joined by Emma-Jayne Booth, Megan Booth, Natalie Barber, Lisa Grimble, Amy Gray, Lindsay Stephen, Kyle Stanwick and Charles Campo.

She added: “I am incredibly grateful to them all.”

Rachael has set up a JustGiving page and has raised over £4,700 so far.

She said: “These donations, no matter how big or small, play a crucial role in supporting many children and their families who visit the Royal Victoria Infirmary for treatment and care, making their experience the best it possibly can be.”

She has also had a message for support from Peter Gibson, who served as the town’s MP before losing his seat in the General Election in May.

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He said: “Rachael has been an incredible support to me and my team leading the work in my constituency office.

“The news of her diagnosis was devastating for her and for all of us.

“However her resilience determination and positivity with which she has approached her treatment and turning her fundraising efforts into a positive motivational story is a testament to the person she is.

“I wish her all the very best for her run on Sunday.”