An inspirational student with a terminal condition has “triumphed over adversity” by graduating from The University of Manchester this week.
Laura Nuttall, from Barrowford in Lancashire, was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme – an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer – after a routine eye test back in 2018, and after she was found to have eight tumours, she was told she only had around 12 months to live.
Laura’s shock diagnosis led to her leaving university in London to concentrate on treatment and ticking items off her bucket list.
She bravely endured a craniotomy to remove the largest tumour, and then started a gruelling programme of radiotherapy and chemotherapy – however, her dedicated family then discovered an innovative new treatment available in Germany, and with the help of donations from friends, family and an online fundraiser, Laura was able to start the immunotherapy.
She had to travel to Cologne every six weeks, but she responded so well to treatment that she was able to restart her studies – this time a little closer to home at The University of Manchester.
Despite having to travel for the gruelling treatment – which was made even more difficult by COVID-19 travel restrictions – and on top of undergoing more surgery in March and December, working as an ambassador for The Brain Tumour Charity, and helping out in her community, Laura somehow continued to excel in her studies.
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And earlier this week, she finally graduated.
Laura’s proud family got to see her graduate after she was only given 12 months to live following her diagnosis in 2018 / Credit: University of Manchester
Laura graduated with a 2:1 degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics from The University of Manchester, and was able to celebrate with her mum Nicola, sister Grace, and dad Mark proudly watching on.
“Laura was told that she had a life expectancy of around a year and wouldn’t be going back to university at all, so to see her graduate is just incredible,” Laura’s mum Nicola explained.
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“I know how hard she’s had to work to achieve her degree alongside her chemotherapy, surgery and treatment, so this day is a real celebration of her tenacity.
“We really couldn’t be more proud of her.”
In 2018, Laura Nuttall discovered she had Glioblastoma Multiforme – an aggressive and incurable form of brain cancer.
Yesterday, she celebrated her graduation at The University of Manchester with her family. Congratulations Laura, what an achievement! pic.twitter.com/IuxjnkMU4g
— The University of Manchester (@OfficialUoM) July 19, 2022
Laura’s tutors at The University of Manchester have praised her dedication.
“I have met very few people with such a determination to live their life to the full,” said Professor Jackie Carter – who met and bonded with Laura as she also has a child with an incurable brain tumour.
“Unlike most of my students who are wondering what to do with their futures, Laura quite literally doesn’t know what hers holds – but she’s getting on with it, and doing it all with a spirit that shines through her every pore when you meet her.”
Speaking on her graduation day, and reflecting on what it took to get to this moment, Laura said: “I don’t think I would have been able to achieve my degree without the help and support provided by The University of Manchester, especially the student welfare officers.
“In my first year, I wasn’t sure if I would be able to make it to graduation – never mind get a 2:1.”
Woman slams ‘the Molly-Mae effect’ after huge queues form at farm shop
Daisy Jackson
A woman has demonstrated the power of super-influencer Molly-Mae Hague, revealing that massive queues have been forming at a farm shop she posted about.
The ex-Love Island star turned PLT creative director had shared a series of photos and a YouTube vlog on her massive social media platforms, showing off her visit to The Hollies Farm Shop in Tarporley.
Molly-Mae filmed a video with her sister Zoe and seven-month-old daughter Bambi Fury in the family-run Cheshire farm shop.
In it, she told her 1.8 million YouTube followers: “Honestly, everything in here is just unreal” and added that their homemade sausage rolls were ‘literally my heaven’.
She added: “I cannot begin to explain to you, these are the best cookies I’ve ever eaten, and that’s a big statement because I like my cookies.”
The group then tucked into hot chocolates in the farm shop’s cafe area.
And ever since the 24-year-old’s promo, The Hollies Farm Shop has been rammed, according to one TikTok user.
In a video captioned ‘the reality of the Molly-Mae effect’, TikTok user hollelizabethh3 says: “If you do not believe in the Molly-Mae effect, watch this video.
“Everyone said that we had the communal Molly-Mae jacket, now it’s the communal Molly-Mae places!
“We always come to Hollies Farm Shop, been coming here for years, never ever is there anyone there really.
“She posts it on her Instagram, we’ve just driven to come here, on a Sunday, to get a hot chocolate, and they are queuing out through the doors.
“Pure carnage in the car park, it’s like going to Alton Towers for a day out. You’ll have to buy fast passes soon!
Ice cream van starts trading in the middle of a five-mile queue on M62
Daisy Jackson
An ice cream van seized its opportunity for some extra business over the weekend after getting stuck in a five mile-long queue on the M62.
Rather than idly sitting and waiting for the traffic to start moving on Sunday, the ice cream van threw open its hatch and started serving ice creams to fellow drivers.
Videos shared from the traffic jam – which lasted for several hours and was caused by an accident near J10 – showed people queuing up for a Mr Whippy.
One particular video shows a delighted passenger walking back through the rows of stationary cars on the M62 with two ice creams in her hand.
They wrote: “POV: You’re stuck in a standstill on the M62 but there’s a Mr Whip 10 cars down.”
Another person said in their video: “Accident on motorway, M62 from Liverpool to Oldham. Uh, yeah, standstill traffic since long time and people getting ice creams from the ice cream van.
“He’s selling ice creams here and I thought ‘why not’, I’ll get one as well, first time in my life.”
One person commented: “The syrup on my hands and nowhere to wash them would send me into a sensory hell hole.”
Someone else said: “Ice cream man must’ve been buzzing done some right trade today.”
Another wrote: “I need to know how many other people did this” – the answer to which was: “Oh everyone there was a queue.”
It echoes that time several years ago when a Greggs van that got stuck in traffic started handing out free cakes, pasties and doughnuts to drivers stranded on the A1.
Emily Sergeant -
21st July 2022 
