Rachel Deem, Beau Kemp and Kirsty Leighton on Walk for Brain Cancer at Broadwater Parklands

This Gold Coast boy was only seven when he was diagnosed with an aggressive form of brain cancer, passing away only a year later. See how you can help raise money for those going through the same battle

A trio of Gold Coast mums are banding together in the fight against brain cancer.

Battling through their own horrific journeys each one has experienced the heart wrenching loss and effects of Australia’s highest killing cancer of people under 40.

In a heroic effort to put their demons aside Rachel Deem, Beau Kemp and Kirsty Leighton along with 130 other Gold Coasters have raised $33,000 for Sunday’s Walk for Brain Cancer at Broadwater Parklands.

A trio of Gold Coast mums are banding together in the fight against brain cancer. Rachel Deem, Beau Kemp and Kirsty Leighton have organised Sunday's Walk for Brain Cancer at Broadwater Parklands in an effort to build awareness of the deadly disease. Picture Glenn Hampson

Mrs Kemp lost her eight-year-old son Ryley in March from an aggressive form of cancer that formed in the brain stem, making it almost impossible to treat.

Mrs Leighton lost her mum Shirley Bennett in 2019 to a fast-growing and aggressive brain cancer.

Ryley Kemp was seven years old when he was diagnosed with an insidious brain cancer, Picture: Supplied

Co-organiser Rachel Deem was diagnosed with stage three brain cancer at just 28-years-old in late 2020.

With an eight-month-old child Mrs Deem spent nearly a year battling symptoms without a diagnosis as a tumour the size of a cricket ball grew in her brain.

A trio of Gold Coast mums are banding together in the fight against brain cancer. Beau Kemp is one of the organisers for Sunday's Walk for Brain Cancer at Broadwater Parklands in an effort to build awareness of the deadly disease. Picture Glenn Hampson

“We wanted to organise the walk because no one really knows about brain cancer, especially in young people,” Mrs Deem said.

“I started getting symptoms maybe a year before I was diagnosed – I was going to optometrists, doctors, no one really paid much attention because I was young.”

Mrs Deem said her symptoms progressively worsened until it felt like her “brain was about to explode.”

Rachel Deem was diagnosed with stage three brain cancer at just 28-years-old in late 2020

“It hurt that much and I would just lay on the floor crying,” she said.

She said her goal this Sunday was to raise awareness for others as doctors initially told her she was merely suffering from migraines and “post-pregnancy symptoms”.

“To begin with it felt like I had fluid in my ears and it was hard to hear.

“I couldn’t really lift my head without feeling pressure in it and then it started getting worse.

“Eventually it was like there was a screen door in front of eyes – like a black grid I could see even when my eyes were shut.”

Rachel Deem was diagnosed with stage three brain cancer at just 28-years-old in late 2020. Upon diagnosis the tumour was the size of a cricket ball.

Mrs Deem said she suffered from visual auras which doctors put down to seizures after the diagnosis.

Mrs Deem said: “It doesn’t matter what age you are – you can have these symptoms and you need to push for yourself to get checked. Brain cancer survival rates haven’t changed in 30 years and yet it kills so many – 80 per cent of people die within five years,”

All money for Sunday’s Walk for Brain Cancer goes to the Cure Brain Cancer Foundation.

Anyone wanting to donate can go to www.walk4braincancer.com.au/walks/gold-coast/

A trio of Gold Coast mums are banding together in the fight against brain cancer. Rachel Deem is one of the organisers for Sunday's Walk for Brain Cancer at Broadwater Parklands in an effort to build awareness of the deadly disease. Picture Glenn Hampson