A 26-year-old man from Warrington, who initially believed his symptoms were just a bout of flu, has tragically died after being diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour.
From Headaches to a Heartbreaking Diagnosis
Kieran Shingler first began experiencing headaches, a sore throat, and a runny nose around Bonfire Night in 2022. The fit and healthy HGV driver, who enjoyed triathlons, assumed he had caught flu or Covid-19. A coronavirus test for him and his partner, Abbie Henstock, 27, returned negative.
"He just had headaches. I remember he was on Sudafed for like a week and it wasn't really clearing," Abbie recalled. "The headaches were putting him off training. He was such a foodie as well. He wasn't eating, so that's when we took him to the doctors."
Concerned by his loss of appetite, Abbie urged him to seek medical help. Doctors at Warrington Hospital in Cheshire initially suspected meningitis. However, a CT scan revealed the shocking truth: a mass on his brain.
A Courageous Fight Against Grade Three Astrocytoma
Kieran was transferred to the specialist Walton Centre in Liverpool. Following a biopsy and three other procedures, he was diagnosed with a grade three astrocytoma, a fast-growing cancerous tumour.
He bravely underwent radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which initially helped to reduce the tumour. However, a scan in the summer showed the cancer had begun growing again. Despite further treatment efforts, Kieran's health declined. He passed away in St Rocco's Hospice in Warrington on December 14, having outlived an initial 12-month prognosis given in December 2022.
A Legacy of Love and Raising Awareness
Paying a moving tribute, Abbie described Kieran as a cheeky, gentle family man with a dry sense of humour. "He wouldn't hurt a fly," she said. "He was so chilled. He was so funny and gentle... He was such a good lad."
Together, the couple had started a fundraising initiative named Kieran's Krew, which raised over £27,000 for brain tumour charities, including The Brain Tumour Charity. Abbie expressed her intention to continue fundraising in his memory.
"We were fortunate and lucky enough to have two extra years with him," Abbie said. "But people who are first diagnosed now, they might see his story and think, oh, there is a chance."
According to The Brain Tumour Charity, headaches affect up to 60% of people with a brain tumour. They are caused not by the tumour itself, but by pressure on pain-sensitive structures. A reduced appetite is also a common symptom.
