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.
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.
“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.”
Pep Guardiola aims not-so-subtle dig at ‘destructive’ FIFA Club World Cup
Danny Jones
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola is the latest to voice his concerns surrounding the ongoing 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, delivering a not-so-subtle dig at the competition.
Ahead of Man City‘s round of 16 match against Al Hilal in this year’s Club World Cup, of which they won all their group stage games, the Catalan head coach has once again come out to criticise the increasingly congested fixture calendar.
His comments come after former Liverpool manager and now Head of Global Soccer for Red Bull, Jürgen Klopp, labelled the current off-season summer run of matches “the worst idea ever.”
Somewhat echoing his statement – or at the very least aligning with it (albeit indirectly) – Pep Guardiola gave his two cents also, claiming that the now extended, 32-team tournament could “destroy” his squad and their fortunes in the next campaign.
Clearly, Pep is far from the biggest of fan of the recently refreshed format, even despite having won the thing on four occasions in the past – the most recent being with Manchester City back in 2023.
Reflecting on what impact he fears the Club World Cup may have on his team next season, Guardiola said: “I try not to think about it, otherwise I will be so anxious. We will rest [for as much time as] the Premier League allows us to.
“And game by game, month by month, we will see. And maybe in November, December, January, ask me, Pep. I may say: ‘So listen, we are a disaster. We are exhausted. The World Cup destroyed us.’ I don’t know, but it’s the first time in our [lives] that that’s happened [a 32-team CWC]. So we will see…”
Unpredictable weather in the United States, where the action is being hosted, has also been the subject of outrage in some cases, with Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca stating, “It’s a joke! It’s not football”, after a major storm delay mid-game pushed meant that one of their games took five hours to finish.
The 54-year-old also insisted that those who were against the tweaked concept “fought a lot” here in England, in UEFA meetings and so on, as was the case with the revision of the new layout of the Champions League, but to no avail.
Jurgen Klopp: "NBA player earns a lot of money & has 4 months of rest per year. Van Dijk didn't even have that in his entire career. Tournaments such as the Club World Cup cannot take place at the expense of players" [Die Welt]
Regarding Klopp, who set this latest chain of criticism, he claims that whoever wins the 2025 Club World Cup is ultimately “pointless” and will be “the worst winner of all time because they’ll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league.”
In his eyes, the decisions are being made by people who have “never been involved” with the pressure of day-to-day life in professional football and the physical toll of multiple competitions, in particular.
As for who might win the 2025 CWC, it could very well be Man City for a second time, as the Blues are the only team remaining that has a 100% win ratio this year, having most recently thrashed Juventus 5-2 in their last game.
Nevertheless, it seems that the stance of Klopp, Guardiola, Maresca and more is pretty plain: this particular tournament will go down in the record books for the wrong reasons, and they won’t be happy until the format is revisited.
Do you agree with Pep and co. on the Club World Cup controversy?
Featured Images — Man City (screenshot via YouTube)
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Burger King is giving away FREE vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are
Emily Sergeant
Reckon you could swap out meat for a vegan alternative?
Now we know there’ll be droves of meat-lovers who read that question with their noses turned up, immediately dismissing the possibility that it would ever be something they’d consider… but what if we told you it was free?
That’s right – Burger King has announced that for the next week or so, it’ll be delivering its delicious Vegan Royale burgers to meat-loving customers for free, all with the aim of giving them a chance to experience just how tasty and satisfying plant-based foods can be, and prove that they won’t miss out by giving it a go.
The Vegan Royale is Burger King’s take on its legendary Chicken Royale burger, and sees a crispy vegan patty – that’s meant to be an alternative to chicken – topped with iceberg lettuce, vegan mayo, and crowned with a toasted sesame seed bun.
Burger King is giving away free vegan burgers to meat lovers to prove how ‘tasty’ they are / Credit: Burger King UK
The fast food chain‘s campaign is in partnership with The Vegetarian Butcher, and comes as shocking new research has revealed that more than 40% of meat eaters admit to having never tasted a plant-based burger.
On the other hand, that same research also found that the UK appears to eb embracing plant-based foods more than ever, as nearly 60% of the population say that are open to trying it.
67% of those who once thought plant-based food wasn’t for them say a great meat alternative burger was what changed their mind – so maybe this is what the Vegan Royale can be for you, if you’re willing to give it a chance.
So, to give hungry customers a taste of what the fuss is all about, Burger King will be offering anyone who orders on UberEats or Just Eat, with a minimum spend of £20, a Vegan Royale burger for free of charge along with the rest of their order.
Emily Sergeant -
21st July 2022 
