A young woman in London dates for cancer dollars

Lisa is dying of a brain tumor. Better put, she’s living with it. Since 2006, Lisa has been undergoing treatment for a brain tumor that has proved to be extraordinarily resistant.
She found that dating proved to be difficult with her particular challenges, and instead, she has turned her dates into an innovative fundraising plan, with would-be suitors bidding for her time. So far she has raised s18,000 for a brain tumor charity. An Arab prince paid s4,000 for one date, and some men have bid again and again to see her.

She says: “On my birthday is when I think most about time. I know I'm going to die. The first thing I ask my doctor, Professor Michael Gleeson at Guys and St Thomass Hospital, when I see him is - How long have I got left? It’s like a joke between us. It could be a month, it could be a few years.”

I'm not sure how I feel about this one, other than I am so glad Lisa has found meaning and purpose in what she's doing.

“What upsets me is when being ill means I can’t do what I want, when I can’t get out of bed to do my fundraising. It also means I won’t have kids. Knowing I’m not going be around for long has changed me. I tell people what I want and how I feel. I haven't got time for games or for timewasters. I’ve got a list of things I want to do before I die I'm going sky-diving this summer, so that'll be another ticked off my bucket list.”
She runs the site from her council flat in north London. You put a profile up, like a dating site, and people bid. Whoever offers the most wins the date and the money goes to charity.

For more information on Lisa and her work visit www.rentadateforcharity.com , www.lisaconnell.co.uk and www.inspirationball.co.uk
Find our more about brain tumors at www.brainstrust.org.uk