Oxford student to run half marathon for charity which supported family

Harry Bromwich, an Oxford Brookes University student, underwent thyroid surgery in primary school.

He will run the half marathon on October 13 to raise funds for the Get A-Head Charitable Trust, which supports people with head and neck diseases, particularly cancer.

The charity supported Mr Bromwich's father, Edward, in his fight against a rare form of thyroid cancer, and is now chaired by Edward’s identical twin brother, Tom.

Harry Bromwich and his dad, Edward Bromwich (Image: Be Bold Media)

Mr Bromwich said: "Because of the hereditary nature of my dad’s cancer, it meant my uncle Tom had to have his thyroid gland removed as a preventative measure.

"Because of the risks, it also meant that me and my sister had to have our thyroid removed at a young age and so did my three cousins.

"Back then there was no simple way to determine whether we also shared the faulty gene so we had to undergo a series of rather unpleasant tests, and it was eventually decided by our parents, along with doctors, that it would be best for us all to have surgery to remove our thyroid gland as a preventative measure."

He added: "The only lasting impact for me really is that I have to take daily medication to control my thyroxin levels and have to undergo routine blood tests.

"On a much wider scale however, the research funded by Get A-Head means that a simple blood test has now been developed which will determine whether anyone else in our family or anywhere else in the world has the faulty gene responsible for causing familial medullary thyroid carcinoma."

Mr Bromwich is now in his final year at Oxford Brookes University, studying real estate.

He has been training all summer for his first half marathon, including some time in Devon with his aunt, Imogen Yeoman, who has completed 15 marathons, including this year’s London Marathon.

Tom Bromwich, chair of trustees for Get A-Head, said: "Harry and his sister, as well as my own three children, went through a really tough time when they were younger.

"They endured lots of painful, regular tests and also major surgery at a young age.

"They all know what an important role Get A-Head has played in our lives, and myself, along with all the trustees, are really honoured that Harry will be stepping out to undertake this huge challenge to help us raise funds.

"We’ll all be rooting for Harry and wish him the very best of luck."