A young man from Warrington tragically lost his life to a fast-growing brain tumour after initially dismissing his symptoms as a seasonal flu.
From Training to Tragedy: A Sudden Decline
Kieran Shingler, a 23-year-old HGV driver and triathlon trainee, first felt unwell on Bonfire Night in 2022. Experiencing grogginess and a runny nose, he took a Covid test which was negative, leading him to believe he had the flu. However, his condition deteriorated over the following weeks with excruciating headaches and an inability to keep food down.
After a GP referral to Warrington Hospital in November 2022, where meningitis was initially suspected, a CT scan revealed a mass on his brain. He was urgently transferred to the specialist Walton Centre in Liverpool.
A Gruelling Three-Year Fight Against Cancer
An MRI scan showed a tumour blocking cerebrospinal fluid, requiring an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) to drain the fluid. Following this, he underwent a high-risk craniotomy to remove the tumour and obtain a biopsy.
Tragically, the surgery led to short-term memory loss and complications. Just before another operation on December 29, 2022, his family received the devastating diagnosis: a grade three astrocytoma, a fast-growing cancerous brain tumour with a life expectancy of just 12 months.
In January 2023, an oncologist at Liverpool's Clatterbridge Cancer Centre prescribed 30 sessions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy. While scans initially showed the tumour shrinking by February, it began growing again just five months later. Further chemotherapy was attempted but had to be stopped due to evidence of liver damage.
A Legacy of Courage and a Final Farewell
Despite periods where the tumour shrank to as small as 0.35cm, a scan in June this year confirmed it was growing again. Kieran Shingler died in a hospice on December 14, just over a week before Christmas, after a three-year battle.
His girlfriend, Abbie Henstock, 26, and his family paid tribute to his bravery. In a statement, they said: "Kieran lived with his brain tumour for just over 3 years and fought with immense courage, determination, always willing to try new things... He was the most bravest most inspiring man." They added that he is now "in no more pain, cancer free and up there with his gorgeous mum."
Symptoms of an astrocytoma, as experienced by Kieran, can include severe headaches, nausea, cognitive difficulties, and changes in vision, often mistaken for less serious illnesses.
