Scottish swimmer to meet Andy Burnham in plea for more cancer funding

The Prime Minister subsequently reached out to Goodburn via social media to arrange the meeting.

The swimmer issued an emotional plea ahead of their discussion, breaking down in tears as he called for change.

“Please establish a national brain cancer lead and give us a chance to fight for our lives because the things that patients are going through out there are unbelievable and so unjust,” he told the BBC.

“There are clinical trials around the world, in the US, in Australia, in China, that could change lives. We are not seeing them in the UK, and it is unfair and unjust.

“Please invest and make the difference. I’m on my knees begging for – not just my own life – but for those of my best friends and those that are affected and the families around the country.

“This has to change. It’s been going for too long and the suffering is unbearable.”

Goodburn continued: “We cannot accept the status quo in the system, we cannot be risk-averse. People are dying.

“My advocacy has opened doors to have conversations at the highest level of Government about the injustices faced by the brain tumour community and campaign for change for myself and for them.

“But I hope I can also inspire people on an individual level.”

Goodburn competed at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, where he reached the 50m breaststroke final.

His health concerns first emerged while he was preparing for the 2024 Olympic trials, when he began experiencing numbness and seizures during training sessions.

Medical investigations revealed three large oligodendrogliomas – a rare form of cancer capable of affecting both the brain and spinal cord.

The swimmer underwent both chemotherapy and radiotherapy in an effort to tackle the tumours, but doctors determined that surgical removal was not possible.

Goodburn is now channelling all of his energy into campaigning for better treatment options and research funding.

The charity Brain Tumour Research said brain tumours are the leading cancer killer of people under 40 in the UK, with charitable organisations providing more than three-quarters of total national research funding and Government contributions accounting for just 25 per cent.

The Rare Cancers Bill, steered through parliament by Edinburgh South West MP Scott Arthur, was enacted earlier this year, seeking to boost research and investment into cancers affecting fewer than one in every 2,000 people.

Goodburn argues the legislation did not go far enough, saying a dedicated brain cancer lead would improve research and trials.

Arthur called the act “vital” but acknowledged the Downing Street meeting could drive further progress.

“I hope his meeting with the prime minister is a moment for concrete progress to be made,” he said.

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