Truck Driver Thought He Had the Flu or Covid. He Was then Diagnosed with a Brain Tumor and Given 1 Year to Live

A man in England who initially believed he had the flu received a life-altering diagnosis: a rare and aggressive brain tumor, with doctors warning he may have only a year to live.

Kieran Shingler, 26, from Warrington in the U.K., began experiencing flu-like symptoms in November 2022, including headaches, a sore throat, and a runny nose. Suspecting a mild illness like the flu or COVID, he took a COVID test, which came back negative. But as his condition worsened and he became unable to keep food down, he sought medical help, according to the Manchester Evening News.

Doctors at Warrington Hospital ordered an emergency CT scan, and Shingler was quickly transferred to The Walton Centre in Liverpool. There, he underwent four major brain surgeries, including an emergency operation on Christmas Day, according to a GoFundMe page created to help support his ongoing treatment.

The GoFundMe campaign revealed Shingler was just 23 years old when he was “unexpectedly diagnosed with a high grade cancerous brain [tumor].”

A biopsy at The Walton Centre confirmed that Shingler had a grade three astrocytoma. According to the Mayo Clinic, astrocytomas originate in the brain or spinal cord and form from astrocytes—cells that support and connect nerve cells.

After consulting with an oncologist at Liverpool’s Clatterbridge Cancer Centre on January 5, 2023, Shingler began 30 rounds of radiotherapy and chemotherapy over a single month. The treatment was initially successful, shrinking the tumor significantly, reported the Manchester Evening News.

However, an update on the GoFundMe page posted this summer revealed that in June 2025, after 19 months off treatment, Shingler was told the tumor had started to grow again.

“When I was diagnosed with a brain [tumor], I was scared, angry and always questioned why,” Shingler told the Manchester Evening News. “I couldn’t have got through the past couple of years without the support of my friends and family, but especially my [mom] and [partner] Abbie [Henstock].”

He continued, “They always made sure to put me before themselves and I will always be so grateful. Abbie especially has stuck by my side and remained strong for me as I lost my [mom] last year. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for [her].”

Henstock, also 26, said she had known something was wrong when Shingler’s condition didn’t improve. “He couldn’t keep food down and was getting excruciating headaches. He was so fit—doing triathlons, working out—we just knew something wasn’t right.”

She recalled that an MRI showed the tumor was blocking fluid from flowing to his spine, leading doctors to perform an emergency endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), a procedure used to treat hydrocephalus—a buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.

One of Shingler’s surgeries was a craniotomy, according to the Manchester Evening News, a procedure where part of the skull is removed to allow access to the brain. He also had a permanent shunt implanted just an hour after receiving his diagnosis on December 29, 2022.

As explained by the Mayo Clinic, craniotomies are performed to access the brain for surgery or to take tissue samples. Shunts, meanwhile, redirect fluid buildup to relieve pressure on the brain.

Following the tumor’s regrowth, Shingler resumed chemotherapy to help control its progression.

“He was put back on chemotherapy to help get this back under control,” read a recent GoFundMe update. “We would love to continue to raise money for charities close to our hearts as well as making memories and doing the things Kieran loves, which can be as simple as going to a yummy breakfast and coffee.”

Thanks to the generous donations, the family has been able to purchase a Hyperbaric Oxygen Tank, a red light therapy device, and a PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) machine—all of which they say have contributed to Shingler’s recovery and helped improve his short-term memory.

As of Tuesday, August 5, the GoFundMe page had raised more than $36,000. PEOPLE has reached out to Shingler for an update on his current condition.