An officer diagnosed with a brain tumour has been recognised for his work on raising awareness of brain tumours and fundraising efforts.
PC Dave Stubbs of Staffordshire Police has been nominated for the Uniformed Hero Award at this year’s Your Heroes Awards.
The awards celebrate the unsung heroes of communities across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire.
The awards are also sponsored by Stoke-on-Trent City Council, Staffordshire University and the Community Foundation for Staffordshire and organised by a dedicated team of volunteers supported by Port Vale FC and the Port Vale Foundation in partnership with numerous local organisations.
Dave, aged 43, was diagnosed with a brain tumour in July 2021.
Following his diagnosis, PC Stubbs was told he could have collapsed anytime with the tumour, which medics believed had been developing for more than 10 years.
In a twist of fate, it was when Dave tested positive for coronavirus in June 2021, that the tumour was picked up.
Dave underwent surgery to remove the tumour in September 2021.
However, due to its location around a vein, it could only be partially removed.
Dave said: “Having a brain tumour is life-changing and the ongoing issues you experience after diagnosis are not always obvious to others.”
His family and colleagues in the force have continued to support him in his recovery.
And it was family member Steve Dalton who nominated Dave for the Uniformed Hero Award.
Steve said: “After a chat with superiors, Dave set a task of raising funds for three charities. In the space of around three weeks, he raised over £5,000 with help from his wife Rachel, currently a serving officer at Staffordshire Police, and their son, Elijah.
“The Stubbs family, in spite of their predicament, thought of others first rather than themselves. They are true uniformed heroes and dedicated public servants.”
Speaking about his nomination, Dave said: “I’m very humbled to have been nominated. I couldn’t have got as far in my journey as I have without the support of my amazing wife Rachel and family and also the support of my colleagues.
“If I can use my nomination as a platform to raise more awareness of this dreadful disease then that would be amazing.
“Fundraising gives me something to concentrate on and continuing to raise awareness of brain tumours is important.”
On his diagnosis, Dave added: “I was really lucky. The brain tumour is wrapped around the main vein in my brain. If it hadn’t been discovered because of Covid-19, then I might not be here now.
“This has brought me and my family closer together, my marriage is stronger than ever and my son has also been a superstar throughout all of this.”
The Your Heroes Awards are due to take place in October.
