Portsmouth family skydiving for air ambulance in memory of son
The mother and sister of a 10-year-old boy who died suddenly after an asthma attack are planning a skydive to raise money for the air ambulance charity that attempted to save his life.Warren, from Portsmouth, stopped breathing soon after asking for his inhaler in March 2023.His father Ian performed CPR before a specialist crew from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance (HIOWAA) arrived - but Warren could not be saved.Almost exactly two years on from Warren's death, his mum Belinda and sister Scarlett are attempting the skydive to raise money for HIOWAA.
Belinda recalled how Warren had become breathless after playing on a trampoline outside with his brother."His inhaler didn't seem to be working and he started to panic, then while I was on the phone for an ambulance, he turned blue and stopped breathing."Despite the air ambulance attending and doing their best to help Warren, he didn't make it," she added.
Warren's family, including his six siblings, have since been supported by the HIOWAA's aftercare team - led by Nikki Harris.Belinda said: "The care from the air ambulance didn't stop on that day."The family has since visited the charity's base, which had been "hard" but was also "lovely to meet the people that did their very best", she added.Ms Harris will be joining Belinda and Scarlett, as well as one of Warren's former school teachers, for the skydive on 16 March.She said she was "deeply touched" to join the "extraordinary family" in commemorating Warren's life."I can only imagine Warren's immense pride as he watches over them, guiding their journey," Ms Harris added.HIOWAA is hoping to raise £3.6m through its Operation Airbase appeal to fund a move to new headquarters near Southampton Airport.
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The Sun
29-05-2025
- The Sun
Sick Mohamed Fayed raped me before Harrods bosses forced me into abortion & then fired me, says victim in bombshell book
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Scottish Sun
21-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
My GP dismissed ‘common cancer symptom' because I was fit and healthy – then I was given a heartbreaking diagnosis
One in two people will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, and while you might think 'it won't happen to me', Warren Gray's experience serves as a stark reminder the disease can strike any of us, whatever our age... SINISTER TRUTH My GP dismissed 'common cancer symptom' because I was fit and healthy – then I was given a heartbreaking diagnosis Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) AS a marathon runner and someone who'd never smoked, Warren Gray wasn't worried when he developed what he thought was an innocent cough. He says his GP wasn't overly concerned either - he had no breathlessness and wasn't losing weight - and he was just prescribed antihistamines. 5 Warren Gray was fit and healthy at the age of 44, being a keen marathon runner and someone who never smoked Credit: Warren Gray 5 During the Covid pandemic, he developed a persistent cough but no other worrying symptoms Credit: Warren Gray 5 After undergoing X-rays, tests, scans and surgery, it was discovered Warren had stage 3 lung cancer Credit: Warren Gray But as the cough persisted, the now 47-year-old knew it was time to push for answers, eventually discovering he had stage 3 lung cancer. Warren, from Suffolk, first developed the cough in 2021 when he was 44. Describing himself as fit and healthy, he didn't think much of it at the time, especially because it was during the Covid pandemic. "I had to test regularly in my job as cabin crew, and they always came back negative," says Warren. "I wasn't coughing up blood or anything and had no other symptoms of illness." Regardless, Warren decided in June 2021 he would go see his GP - who prescribed him antihistamines and acid reflux medication. "I first went to see my GP approximately six months after my symptoms started," he says. "My GP wasn't overly concerned to begin with as I was a marathon runner, not experiencing breathlessness or losing weight. "Initially, I was prescribed antihistamines, which didn't make any difference, and then omeprazole when I went back, as it was then thought the problem might be acid reflux." Eventually, in October, Warren went for an X-ray which came back as abnormal. I'm a doctor and these 5 changes could be a sign of deadly lung cancer In November, he had a CT scan, and a malignancy was suspected. "Within a week, I had an appointment with a consultant who said a diagnosis could not be confirmed without a biopsy," he recalls. "I had a PET scan in December, then a CT-guided biopsy and a respiratory test, and just before Christmas, a follow-up with the consultant, who said results were still inconclusive, but whatever it was would have to be removed." It wasn't the greatest Christmas for Warren, knowing he was facing lung surgery the following month. But at the same time, he was glad to be getting out whatever was there. "I was told I wouldn't lose much of my lung function and there was no sign of any spread, which was the outcome I was hoping for," he says. I thought about whether I would grow old and live a long life. All the things we take for granted. All these thoughts were going through my mind Warren Gray "However, I was worried. Worried about surgery, my recovery, my future. Was my life now going to change? Would I be still be able to do the things I love like running. "And I thought about whether I would grow old and live a long life. All the things we take for granted. All these thoughts were going through my mind." When Warren met with his surgeon, he was told he would be having robotic surgery. Robotic surgery, specifically robot-assisted thoracic surgery (RATS), is a minimally invasive technique used for lung cancer treatment, offering benefits like reduced pain, shorter hospital stays, and faster recovery compared to traditional open surgery. RATS involves surgeons using a robotic system to control instruments and a 3D camera through small incisions in the chest, allowing for precise manipulation and removal of cancerous tissue. On January 27, an upper left lobectomy was performed which took eight hours. Warren says it was a challenging operation because they needed to go in so close to the pulmonary artery. 'Of course I knew it would be cancer' It wasn't until February 2022 that he finally received his diagnosis: stage 3A lung cancer. Stage 3A indicates a more advanced stage of the disease where the cancer has spread to lymph nodes on the same side of the chest as the primary tumour, but not to distant parts of the body. "Some of my lymph nodes had been taken out during the surgery, and cancer was found in two of them," says Warren. "Of course I knew it would be cancer. "I have a great relationship with my care team and although nothing could be confirmed without a conclusive biopsy it was highly suspected, so I was prepared for that. "However, I was shocked that it was stage 3A due to the fact there were some cells located in lymph nodes which I wasn't prepared for as this was not on the PET scan. I felt in that moment that my prognosis was a lot worse and this was going to kill me Warren Gray "I felt in that moment that my prognosis was a lot worse and this was going to kill me. "It's difficult not to read statistics and compare yourself to others with a similar stage, but as my oncologist told me, everyone's situation and cancer journey is different, as is their treatment plan. "It was a difficult time, also because I had been grounded as cabin crew since my diagnosis, which was a challenge in itself. "I had no work to distract me from focusing on the cancer, and wondered if I would ever fly again." During his procedure, the surgeon wasn't able to remove as much of a margin around the tumour as he would have liked because of the position of it near the mediastinum. So in January 2022, he was referred to an oncologist, who prescribed four cycles of chemotherapy, three weeks apart. "While the first cycle passed without incident, I developed horrendous side effects from the second cycle onwards," he says. "My hair thinned out completely and I had fatigue and nausea, although they were well-controlled with medication, and my team did all they could to help me; the quality of my care was excellent. 5 Warren says he developed horrendous side effects from his treatment, including hair loss, fatigue and nausea Credit: Warren Gray 5 Warren (left) with his husband Roy Greenhow (right) - he's now looking to raise awareness of the disease and fundraise for charities like Cancer Research UK Credit: Warren Gray "However, my scans showed the chemo, which finished in May, had been working, and in August I had four weeks of radiotherapy, 20 sessions in all, which was much easier to deal with." Warren's final treatment, a month of radiotherapy, ended in August 2022. Since then, all his scans have been clear. "My treatment took approximately eight months in total – from surgery straight onto chemo and then later radiotherapy," he says. "I was motivated to do all I could to beat this and my surgeon, oncologists and rest of the team were very supportive. "I felt very involved in the options and decisions that were available to me, as well as the risks involved. "As treatment finished, it was up to me to pick up on my life and fend for myself, which was quite difficult; I didn't have any counselling at the time and never really processed what had happened. "However, in January 2023, following four-monthly scans which were all clear, I was signed off as fit to fly again, so have been back working long-haul flights and running 15-20 miles a week. "I am living my best life again. I also started counselling to help me cope with the anxiety over whether my cancer will come back as I have been feeling agitated at every little sign of illness. "I've now completed the counselling and like anything, you only get out of it what you put in. "It was difficult at first to change my way of thinking, but after several sessions it allowed me to change my mindset and focus on living in the here and now, the present." 'Covid saved my life' Warren says cancer has changed his outlook on life, and he wants to do all he can to raise awareness and fundraise for charities like Cancer Research UK. "The first thing I did was set up a monthly donation and also a gift in my will," he adds. "I've spent my time focusing on my fitness and running and I'm planning on doing a marathon in the future. "My message to others is that you only need lungs to have lung cancer, even if you've never smoked or think you're too young." Incidence rates for lung cancer in the UK are highest in people aged 80 to 84. But Warren stresses anyone can get cancer, and would encourage people to speak to their GP if they feel something's not quite right. He adds: "I feel Covid saved my life, because had it not arisen, I might never have been concerned to find out the cause of my cough. "What I've learned about cancer is that you should never think it can't happen to you." Warren is supporting Cancer Research UK's Race for Life in partnership with Standard Life. Visit to find out more.
