A 26-year-old man from Warrington has died after symptoms he initially believed were flu were diagnosed as a fatal brain tumour.
From flu-like symptoms to a devastating diagnosis
Kieran Shingler first experienced a headache, sore throat and runny nose on Bonfire Night in 2022. The HGV driver, like many, thought he had caught flu or COVID-19.
After testing negative for COVID, he and his partner, Abbie Henstock, 26, put his persistent fatigue and illness down to a severe flu. However, his condition worsened over the following weeks.
"Kieran just wasn't getting any better; he couldn't keep food down, and he was getting excruciating headaches," Abbie, a communications officer, recalled. "He was so fit, he was doing a triathlon, working out, we just knew something wasn't right."
A rapid decline and urgent treatment
On November 21, 2022, after his mother Lisa contacted a doctor, Kieran was advised to go to Warrington Hospital. A CT scan there revealed a mass on his brain, and he was rushed by ambulance to the Walton Centre in Liverpool.
On December 29, 2022, an hour before scheduled surgery to fit a permanent shunt, his family received the devastating news. Kieran had a grade three astrocytoma, a rapidly developing cancerous brain tumour.
"We discovered it was cancer - a rapidly developing tumour," Abbie said. "It was all a blur."
A courageous three-year battle
Kieran began an intensive treatment plan at the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in Liverpool on January 5, 2023. This involved 30 sessions of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which initially showed success with scans indicating the tumour was shrinking.
After a month's break, he was due to start six stronger cycles of chemotherapy. However, in July 2023, doctors delivered the crushing update that the treatment had ceased to be effective and the tumour was growing again.
Kieran lived with his diagnosis for just over three years. He passed away in a hospice on December 14, 2025.
In a heartfelt statement, his family paid tribute: "Kieran lived with his brain tumour for just over three years and fought with immense courage and determination. He was the most bravest, most inspiring man."
They described him as a cheeky, chilled-out person who loved food, shopping on Temu, and was a true Liverpool FC supporter. "He's in no more pain, cancer free and up there with his gorgeous mum," the family added.
Kieran himself had previously spoken about his diagnosis, saying: "When I was diagnosed with a brain tumour, I was scared, angry and always questioned why. I couldn't have got through the past couple of years without the support of my friends and family."
