David Popplewell
HERE IS DAVID’S STORY, AS TOLD BY HIS GOOD FRIEND CLARE ELLA…
On Sunday September 20th 2020 I completed the Ladybower 35 mile challenge event – to raise money for Brainstorm, and in memory of a wonderful friend of 25 years who died from a brain tumour on May 17th.
David (but known to me as Dai) Popplewell and I met in 1995 when we were both posted to work at Fuzhou Teacher Training College in Jiangxi Province PRC, for Voluntary Services Overseas. The two years we spent teaching there, and also travelling together during the holidays, throughout China and into Tibet & Nepal, were truly life-changing and he became a wonderful friend. After our return to the UK, I decided to travel more, before looking for a permanent job, whilst Dave chose to train as a teacher. We continued to write to each other regularly whilst I was away, and when I got back we met up for cycle rides, walks and Chinese themed dinner parties! I was delighted when he ‘settled down’, began teaching at Wellingborough School and moved in with Ali. We remained a valuable sounding board for each other and, although it was sometimes months between contact, never lost that special friendship. He was very involved with National Trust volunteering and regularly led volunteer residential projects.
We shared a love of New Zealand – both having travelled there in the past - and I was very jealous when he told me that he and Ali were going to take some time off and travel together, and include NZ in their itinerary. I followed their travel blog with great interest and enjoyed catching up after their return. Then on Monday 28th May 2018 I got an unusually early text from him, just after 6 am, asking if I was around for a chat. He explained some concerning recent symptoms and I agreed he should go to his GP – things then changed very quickly.
Ali takes up the story:-
In hindsight, we were so fortunate to enjoy a three month sabbatical in early 2018, visiting Asia, Australia and New Zealand, whilst Dave was 100% fit and healthy.
Sadly, just after we returned in May, he developed a strange drop-foot, which after investigation, showed a small but serious grade 4 glioblastoma brain tumour, affecting his peripheral nerve.
Mr Plaha, (a trustee of the Brainstorm charity), was Dave’s neurosurgeon at the JR. He talked us so calmly through the surgical procedure, involving an awake craniotomy, which meant that Dave’s level of consciousness was managed minutely, enabling him to respond and, when asked, move his foot during the operation, to ensure the most successful outcome.
Mr Plaha removed 100% of that tumour and, after targeted radiotherapy and chemotherapy, Dave enjoyed 20 months of a fairly active lifestyle, we married (after 19 years together), enjoyed a honeymoon cruising down the Danube, and had as many trips in the UK that we could squeeze in.
Sadly, although the original tumour site remained clear, Dave developed a second tumour in early 2020, which affected his cognitive skills. He suffered a major bleed on his brain (the tumour imploding) and had further urgent brain surgery to remove as much of the bleed and tumour as possible. He recovered slowly from the surgery and managed to come home for five weeks, but never fully regained control of his speech. The remaining tumour progressed and finally, after falling into a coma, he passed away two years after being diagnosed.
I managed to see Dave quite a few times after his diagnosis, and saw the effects of his treatment, but he was always enthusiastic about his physiotherapy, new dietary and nutritional advice, helpful pieces of equipment, his recumbent trike, complementary therapies and of course, marrying Ali. After seeming so much better, it was devastating when the second tumour caused the major bleed in early 2020. I managed to see him in JR just days before the March lockdown, and although he had a tracheostomy tube in which prevented him from talking to me, he was taking in everything I said, enjoyed the foot rub that I gave him and rolled his eyes in exasperation at Ali & I attempting to get Sky Sports paid for & installed on his hospital TV. It was to be the last time I saw him.
Ali continues:-
Mr Plaha, with his team, provided us with constant support throughout this time. His professional expertise and compassion is such a good balance and we had so much confidence in his knowledge and research capabilities. Brainstorm was the obvious charity of choice for donations from all our friends and families after his death - we wanted to be able to help any future research into glioblastomas, which affect so many people, with no known cause.
As COVID restrictions meant it was not possible to have a funeral that I could attend, I wanted to do something to honour Dai’s life and our 25 years of friendship, and raise money for the charity that Ali, his father Mike and sisters Jane and Sue had chosen to support. I wanted to do something that would challenge me, but was attainable, and when I saw the Ladybower event was still on, with 8 weeks’ notice I entered and started training. When I set up the fundraising page, it became obvious that he was a much loved and respected man in both his personal and professional life.
He is greatly missed at Wellingborough School, as was evidenced by the number of donations and memories shared by his colleagues. Current and previous heads of Lower Prep there – Bec and Jocelyn - add :-
For all of the 17 years that David worked in the Pre-Prep at Wellingborough School he was known as Mr P. Throughout his time here he worked in Year 3 and I was fortunate enough to be his co-worker in Year 3 class. David was a most conscientious teacher and worked tirelessly to give the children a stimulating and active learning environment. He was also a very wise and thoughtful colleague, Jocelyn and I fondly remember him as coping very well as one of two men amongst about thirty women in the staffroom! We miss him every day.
Dave will leave a lasting impression on the lives of so many people – including his family and friends, his colleagues, the students he taught in China and England, those who played sport with him and those who benefitted from his voluntary work. His was a life that was cut short, far too early, with no known reason why his brain tumour developed. I hope that by helping fund research into brain tumours via Brainstorm, we will be able to make a difference to the survival rates for more people like Dave, who make such a positive contribution to society.