Michael, from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex, was diagnosed with an aggressive glioblastoma (GBM) brain tumour in the summer of 2021 after he started forgetting words and his mouth began to droop.
The retired English and drama teacher underwent surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but died seven months later, aged 68.
Liorah recalled: “As a teacher, Dad was particularly literate, so it was strange when he started forgetting words. He also became a little confused and wasn’t able to type a WhatsApp message, which is when I got more concerned.”
Initially, Michael was diagnosed with a haemorrhagic stroke and was told to expect his condition to improve, but when he still couldn’t speak properly four weeks later, Liorah insisted that the doctors reassessed him.
She described waiting for the results of the biopsy as “the worst two weeks of my life”, adding: “I’d done some research and kept thinking: ‘Please don’t let it be a GBM,’ which, of course, it was.”
Growing up in Leigh-on-Sea, Liorah, who now lives in West Hampstead, was very close to her father, who raised her single-handedly after her mother left when she was one. “My dad was my sole parent, and we did absolutely everything together. The love we had for each other was unmatched.”
Four years ago, the two of them went to Israel, where Michael had lived on a kibbutz during his 20s. “He talked to me about the kibbutz. He had really enjoyed it and had made lots of friends there. He loved his Jewish roots.”
Liorah’s decision to climb the 1,085m-high mountain, a challenge she is undertaking with her friend Jenny Harrold, was inspired by her father’s love of hiking and nature. “Dad had climbed a few mountains in the Lake District. He also wanted to relocate to Llandudno, which is close to Snowdon and where he has friends.”
Liorah Sockolov (left) and Jenny Harrold are climbing Snowdon to raise money for Brain Tumour Research (Photo: Handout)
Liorah, who works at the Department for Education, and Jenny are aiming to raise at least £2,740 for Brain Tumour Research, the amount needed to sponsor a day of research into a cure at one of its four Centres of Excellence.
Liorah said: “It’s a really horrific disease. I looked after my dad for about five months, but it was really hard, and I still have nightmares about it.
“My dad was such a healthy man, but it still happened to him. I would love to help the charity find a cure.”
Asked how she had been coping since her father’s death, Liorah said: “My mindset is that he raised me alone for 24 years, so I can’t give up that easily.
“We were very similar, and people often say to me: ‘You look like your dad in this photo,’ or: ‘That’s something your dad would have said,’ so I feel his presence all the time.”
According to statistics from Brain Tumour Research, 16,000 people a year are diagnosed with a brain tumour in the UK and just 12 per cent of those survive beyond five years, compared with an average of 54 per cent across all cancers.
Charlie Allsebrook, the charity's community development manager, said: “Michael’s sad story is a stark reminder of the fact that brain tumours kill more men under 70 than prostate cancer.
“They also kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer, yet just one per cent of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.
Allsebrook said the charity was “determined to change this", adding that they were "really grateful to Liorah and Jenny for taking on this challenge for us and we wish them the best of luck with it”.
To help Liorah and Jenny reach their fundraising target for their climb on July 29, visit: www.justgiving.com/page/liorah-and-jenny-snowdon-trek-2023.
