Published at 16:47, Wednesday, 17 October 2012

By Aimee Walsh A BRAIN tumour research petition is being backed by the family of brave battler Andrew ‘Andy’ Clarke.

BRAVE: Andy Clarke, who passed away after being diagnosed with a brain tumour, pictured with his wife LisaSUBMITTED

The online e-petition, which has more than 6,500 signatures, is calling for an increased proportion of cancer research spending to go towards brain tumour research.

Mr Clarke, 31, from Walney, passed away on October 2 as a result of a brain tumour, seven months after his diagnosis.

Michelle Kidd, his mother, said: “We support it 100 per cent. We have known about the campaign for a few months now. Through the Facebook page, we have raised the number of signatures to just over 6,500.”

However, she hopes the number of signatures will grow to 100,000.

Ms Kidd said: “We want to get as many signatures as possible. We need 100,000 signatures for the petition to be debated at parliament.”

Lisa Clarke, Mr Clarke’s wife, has been disappointed by the number of signatures the petition has attracted nationally.

She said: “You never know, me or you could have a brain tumour and not know about it. It’s really important to us that people sign the petition. It only takes two minutes.

“It’s not in Andy’s name, but we live in Barrow where there are a lot of people who seem to get brain tumours and I can see a lot more people getting them.

“If even half the people who buy the Evening Mail signed it, it would make a massive difference,” she said.

The petition was originally started by actor, Bill Tarmey, who played Jack Duckworth in Coronation Street. Mr Tarmey’s son, Carl Piddington, was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumour two years ago. Since then the actor has been campaigning for further research for the disease that takes more lives of people under the age of 40 than any other cancer. Mr Tarmey created the e-petition in June and it will remain live for a year.

Ms Kidd said she was grateful for all the support. She said: “It’s overwhelming the amount of tributes on the Clarko = Courage page. It’s a comfort to me to read all the stories and the things he had done.

“I want to say thank you to all for the overwhelming support through the funeral and through the Facebook page.”

To back the petition go to http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/35167

Published by http://www.walneylocal.co.uk