Andrew Herweynen, a 55-year-old resident of Kingston, has rallied together a group of over 50 family members, friends, paramedics, nurses and doctors to join him in taking on the world’s toughest half marathon in November, the Point to Pinnacle, to raise funds and awareness for brain cancer.
Andrew was diagnosed with a terminal brain cancer, a glioblastoma, in 2023, which has an average survival rate of 12 to 14 months.
“I am grateful that I have so far lived beyond the average,” Andrew said.
Early in 2023 Andrew noticed some slight symptoms, such as a slight stutter between words, which he put down to “stress or something else.”
But when Andrew came back to work in May after a holiday, he noticed that his symptoms had gone downhill quite rapidly.
“My writing in particular got worse, reports were taking me a long time to complete,” Andrew said.
Andrew formerly worked as a paramedic for Ambulance Tasmania.
He booked an appointment with a GP that resulted in a CT scan and the discovery of a five-centimetre tumour on the left side of his brain.
“As soon as they removed the tumour pretty much all my symptoms were gone,” Andrew said.
“From there the journey’s been radiation and chemotherapy.”
Andrew said he has been lucky that he copes with the chemo “reasonably well.”
“It does make me a bit nauseous and fatigued, that’s the main thing,” he admitted.
“It’s a tiring process when every day you have an appointment to go to.”
Andrew said taking on the Point to Pinnacle wasn’t something on his bucket list before his diagnosis.
However, Andrew’s children are friends with Sarah Kelly of Melbourne, a Grade 3 brain cancer survivor who participated in Point to Pinnacle last year with her team named ‘Sarah’s Hope,’ raising funds for Carrie’s Beanies 4 Brain Cancer Foundation (CB4BCF).
“She was the one who encouraged me that I could do that too,” Andrew said.
“I’m just walking it.
“Every second day I’ve been trying to do at least a 10-kilometre walk that has hills in it to prepare.
“I haven’t always been able to do this on days I’m not feeling the best.
“Hopefully on the day of the Point to Pinnacle the crowd around us will help spur us on.”
Andrew and his team, called ‘Andrew’s Heroes & RHH ED,’ are aiming to raise $10,000 for CB4BCF.
“Brain cancer has been underfunded for too long,” Andrew said.
“Survival rates haven’t changed in 30 years.
“It kills more children in Australia than any other disease and more people under 40 than any other cancer.
“It needs your help.
“Together we can make a difference.”
Donations can be made via this link: https://pointtopinnacle2025.grassrootz.com/cb4bc/andrew-herweynen?utm_medium=QR&utm_campaign=ShareWidget&utm_source=Grassrootz
