Warren was just 49 when he died from a brain tumour on 7th February 2024. He was married to Shelley, and they would have celebrated their 20th wedding anniversary in October 2025. They have two children Ben, now aged 21 and Frankie, who is 18. As a family they shared a love for the outdoors, their dogs, and spending time with friends and family. Shelley shared her experience of the Hospice with us recently and talks about how the Moonlight Walk allows the family to share the happy memories of their lives with Warren.
“In late 2023, Warren started feeling sick, and thought it was due to his new glasses. But I encouraged him to see the GP, who ordered blood tests. Around the same time, he noticed his arm felt numb and painful, with pins and needles. He ended up in A&E, worried he might be having a stroke. A CT scan revealed lesions on his brain and further tests showed it was a brain tumour. Doctors told us that without surgery, Warren might only have a few months to live. With surgery, he could have up to a year.”
In December 2023, Warren had surgery at Brighton Hospital. Doctors removed much of the tumour but couldn’t get it all. At first, he seemed to recover well, but his health quickly worsened. Following an extended stay in hospital, Warren was admitted to St Michael’s Hospice in mid-January.
“At the Hospice, the medical team adjusted his medication so he could enjoy visits from his family and their much-loved dogs, and many friends. It was a special time.”
In late January 2024, Warren returned home and on 7th February, with support from the Hospice’s community nurses, he died, surrounded by his family and dogs – just as he had wished.
“At first, I was nervous about the idea of a Hospice. I imagined it would be cold and clinical. But when I walked in, I heard laughter and felt warmth. The staff were kind, caring, and supportive – not just to Warren, but to the whole family. I remember moments of joy, even at such a difficult time.”
After Warren died, Shelley received some one-to-one bereavement counselling sessions from the Hospice, and since then has joined a bereavement group alongside others coming to terms with the loss of a partner.
“In May 2024, we signed up for the Moonlight Walk. It felt like the perfect way to give back to the Hospice and remember Warren. A group of our family and friends walked together and shared memories of holidays, laughter, and love.
“It was an emotional, but lovely experience for us all to be together and the lantern installation at the end was just beautiful. We could hear people chatting and laughing, some sadness, but the whole event was so supportive, and we really enjoyed the evening.”
We’re thrilled that Shelley and her family plan to take part in Moonlight Walk again this year, this time with their new granddaughter Penelope and Shelley’s new labrador, Buddy.
We’d like to thank Shelley and her family for sharing their experience of the support they received from the Hospice.
If you would like to find out more about Moonlight Walk, please visit our Event Diary
