Kirsty Waugh, an 11-year-old schoolgirl from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, is asking people who share her name to help raise money and awareness for paediatric brain tumour research. [1]
Waugh is being treated for a brain tumour found in 2024 after she lost much of her vision over several weeks. The tumour is described as benign, but its size and location mean doctors cannot remove it and it could cause serious problems if it keeps growing. [1]
Her father, Mat Waugh, helped create an interactive map to find more people named Kirsty and variants such as Kirstie and Kerstie, widening the appeal beyond family and local contacts. The campaign has already drawn more than 10,000 supporters. [1]
Waugh said: "We thought: why don’t we ask people called Kirsty because they’re the best people, because it’s the best name," while her father said: "If you believe you share the same name as Kirsty, then you are very, very welcome on the map." The pair said people who are not named Kirsty can also join in solidarity and do not need to donate to pledge support. [1]
Waugh said her chemotherapy is now in its second round after an initial drug failed to work, and said the treatment is "really tough". She also said: "I feel sick and tired and out of breath. Obviously some children go through so much worse than I do and have such worse treatments." [1]
She said speaking publicly and fundraising has helped her cope. Waugh, who turns 12 on Monday, said last year she started looking for a new fundraising challenge and decided to appeal to people named Kirsty. [1]
