Father's appeal after son's brain tumour death

A father facing his second Christmas without his son, who died from a brain tumour, is supporting an appeal to help fund research into the disease.

Chavier de Abreu, 34, who was known as Chevy, died from an astrocytoma in 2024, three years after being diagnosed.

His father Jose Maria, from Redhill, Surrey, has raised more than £6,500 through fundraising events for brain tumour research.

He said: "I want to carry on Chevy's theme of hope."

Mr Mendez de Abreu said: "Chevy and I were very close.

"When he first got the diagnosis, I didn't want to tell him what I thought he should do, but he put his whole life onto me and wanted me to guide him.

"It was terrifying because I was so scared of making a wrong decision and the buck stops with me."

Chevy was unable to have surgery because of the sensitive location of the tumour.

Despite undergoing three rounds of chemotherapy and six weeks of radiotherapy, he died in April 2024.

His father added: "Hope was Chevy's North Star.

"This is what guided him all the time, right until the last few days that he was lying in bed and unable to talk."

More than 100,000 people in the UK are estimated to be living with a brain tumour or the long-term impact of their diagnosis, according to Brain Tumour Research.

Mr Mendez de Abreu has walked 676 miles (1,088km) between the charity's five centres of excellence across the UK to raise funds and awareness.

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