Walk raises over $17,000 for brain cancer cure
ONLY nine months after suffering her first "buzzing" headache, popular Lennox Head librarian Christine Greiner was dead.
The mother-of-three was only 53 when she died in January 2015; the diagnosis of end stage brain cancer a heart-breaking shock to her and husband David Greiner.
Mr Greiner said visiting their honeymoon spot at Yamba was the highlight of their last moments together, after a failed brain surgery, chemotherapy and experimental drugs.
Reflecting on his wife's terminal illness at the finish line of a 21km fundraiser walk from Lennox to Byron Bay on Sunday Mr Greiner admits one regret.
The bus driver wished he planned his wife's funeral when she was still alive.
"She said we would fight it but she never discussed the end game," Mr Greiner said.
"I regret it because the end came so quickly.
"You can't do anything, you feel so helpless."
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It's the second annual Walk 4 Brain Cancer Mr Greiner has organised, attracting 130 participants and raising $17,602 for the Cure Brain Cancer Fund.
Last year Mr Greiner raised $26,000 for scientific research into a cure for the disease.
About 1600 people are newly diagnosed with the disease in annually, with only 400 of those surviving the cancer.
Brain cancer kills more children in Australia than any other disease, and more people under 40 than any other cancer.
"With the Walk 4 Brain Cancer it's a way of doing something, of helping people, and getting them on board to try to find a cure," Mr Greiner said.
"We don't know what causes brain cancer, unlike for melanoma where it's the sun or with lung cancer where it's cigarettes, and that's so frustrating."
Lennox Football Club player Thaya Evenden said the club's members walked in memory of their team mate, who they'd always remember as fit and fun.
"She was always out walking, she was the oldest of the fittest and she would always rope us into adventures," Ms Evenden said.
To help raise funds donate at:walk4braincancer.com. au/events/36/w4bc-lennox- head-to-byron-bay
