A Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) worker tragically lost his life to bowel cancer at the age of 37 after his symptoms were initially dismissed as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Liam Kerry, from Kings Heath, had been experiencing dietary and digestive issues when he first sought medical help. Doctors attributed his symptoms to IBS and advised him to modify his diet.
However, when a more thorough examination was finally conducted in 2022, a golf ball-sized tumour was discovered in his colon. An operation was performed to remove the mass, and while doctors initially believed the procedure was successful, it was later found that some of the tumour had been left behind and had spread throughout Liam's body. He underwent chemotherapy and achieved remission, but within weeks, the cancer returned. In April 2025, he informed his childhood friend, Shane Grant, that his diagnosis was now terminal. Liam passed away on January 11, 2026.
Determined to Help Others
In his final months, Liam was determined to make a difference. He completed a book titled Flush Fiction: 100 One Hundred Word Stories, designed to be read on the toilet, with all proceeds going to Bowel Cancer UK. Liam, who worked as a model maker for JLR and contributed to cars featured in James Bond films, wrote 99 of the stories himself. Each story is exactly 100 words long. Shane then wrote the final story as a tribute to his beloved friend.
Speaking about Liam's diagnosis, Shane, from Kings Norton, said: "It was a massive shock. He was having a lot of dietary and toilet issues and the doctors thought that it was probably IBS. They tried him with different foods and things like that but he was always pushing to get a more thorough check-up and it took a long time for that to happen. Eventually, one doctor agreed to give him a colonoscopy and they found a massive tumour about the size of a golf ball in his colon. It came as a bit of a shock, especially at his age."
Liam underwent surgery to remove the tumour. "They said it was a complete success, but a check-up a few weeks later found that they had missed a bit and it had spread," Shane added. He continued: "They put him on a bout of chemotherapy, and he went through a long session of that. He was then told that it was in remission but again, three weeks later, another check showed that it had come back and spread even worse. It was around April last year when he told us that they would not be able to cure it, they would just be able to treat it to give him a longer life and make it as pain-free as possible, but he knew he was facing the end."
A Positive Outlook
Despite the grim prognosis, Liam maintained a positive attitude. "I'm sure he was frustrated and upset but I couldn't imagine anyone having a more positive outlook in such circumstances," Shane said. "He continued trying to make the most out of life and trying to squeeze every drop out of life. He booked holidays for himself and his partner, and for all his friends to go away with him. He faced it with a lot of resilience and positivity."
When Liam was first diagnosed with cancer, he had already written around 20 stories for his book. After learning his condition was terminal, he became determined to finish it and wrote an additional 79 stories. Shane then wrote the final story to complete the collection. Flush Fiction was published in Liam's honour, with proceeds benefiting Bowel Cancer UK.
"Liam had always written little stories and had such a wild and creative imagination," Shane recalled. "During Covid there were a lot of online writing competitions and we'd enter them to keep ourselves entertained. At that point, we all started writing a little bit more, and Liam became determined to write a book and get it published. He was working away at it very slowly but then when he got his diagnosis, he was like 'this is something I want to do.' He knew he'd be spending a lot of time in the toilet and wanted to write the book for other people who'd be spending a lot of time in the toilet. I think it acts as a bit of entertainment and distracts them from what they might be going through."
A Lasting Legacy
Shane felt honoured to contribute the final story. "I knew how much it mattered to him, so when he was on his deathbed and we knew it wasn't going to get finished, I came over and told him that I'd make sure it got finished and out into the world. I think it made him rest a little easier. Knowing that it would be finished in his honour gave him some reassurance and meant he could forget about it in his final days. Him letting me finish the book was like his last gift to me in a certain way and meant I could pour my grief into something positive. Writing the final story was kind of poetic as he had already written 99 and it was perfect that the last one be about him and the process of him writing the book. It's been nice for people to have that little memorabilia of Liam rather than just a funeral card or something like that. The stories are so funny, imaginative, clever and outside of the box just like Liam was."
