26-Year-Old Kieran Shingler Given 12 Months to Live After Headache Leads to Devastating Brain Tumor Diagnosis
Kieran Shingler, a 26-year-old from Warrington, England, was diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor after initially mistaking his symptoms for the flu. Doctors have given him just 12 months to live.
Kokcha News Agency – Kieran Shingler, a 26-year-old triathlete from Warrington, England, was diagnosed with a grade 3 astrocytoma, a type of brain tumor, after experiencing persistent headaches and other flu-like symptoms. What started as what he thought was a common cold in November 2022 quickly escalated into a life-altering diagnosis.
Shingler initially attributed his headaches, sore throat, and runny nose to COVID-19, but after testing negative, he and his girlfriend, Abbie Henstock, assumed it was just the flu. However, as his symptoms worsened, Shingler’s health rapidly declined. His headaches became unbearable, he lost his appetite, and his overall condition deteriorated.
Henstock recalled, “He was doing triathlons, he was very fit. But we knew something was wrong; this wasn’t our Kieran.”
After seeking medical help, an initial assessment suspected meningitis, but a CT scan revealed a mass in his brain. Further MRI scans confirmed a tumor blocking the flow of spinal fluid, leading to an emergency endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) surgery. Although Shingler felt better temporarily, he later underwent a craniotomy to remove most of the tumor and perform a biopsy.
Post-surgery, Shingler experienced short-term memory loss and was hospitalized again due to high fever and severe pain. When the ETV failed, an external shunt was placed to redirect brain fluid.
In December 2022, a biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of grade 3 astrocytoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. Doctors informed Shingler and his family that he had only 12 months to live.
Shingler said, “When I was diagnosed with a brain tumor, I was scared, angry, and questioned why this happened to me.”
Despite undergoing treatment, the tumor regrew after just five months. Lomustine chemotherapy initially shrank the tumor from 5.5 cm to 0.35 cm, but the treatment had to be halted due to liver damage.
In June 2025, a follow-up scan revealed that the tumor had started growing again, leaving Shingler and his family facing an uncertain future.
