A Sidmouth mum is hoping to encourage people to wear blue this July to help raise awareness for brain tumour charity.

Lucy Wheeler was diagnosed with an acoustic neuroma in 2006, a tumour that grows on the acoustic nerve behind the inner ear, and affects around two in 100,000 people in the UK.

It took two years for Lucy to be diagnosed after she suffered symptoms of numbness on her lips on her left side. Other symptoms can include are tinnitus, hearing loss and balance issues.

Lucy underwent eight hours of surgery to remove the benign tumour, which measured at 26mm. To raise awareness, she is supporting national charity BANA as it prepares to hold its second acoustic neuroma awareness day on July 1.

Mum-of-two Lucy said: “It’s a really slow growing tumour, the changes are really slow. Thanks to BANA we can be put in touch and meet up with others and find out more information about acoustic neuroma.”