Hundreds step out to honour Gorgeous George

Brain Tumour Research

2 min read

Hundreds took part in a walk at twilight to honour the first anniversary of the death of a much-loved teenager.

George Fox, known to many as Gorgeous George, died in April 2022, 11 months after being diagnosed with a glioblastoma (GBM). He was just 13 years old.

Hundreds of people from Barton-le-Clay in Bedfordshire (where George lived) came together on Sunday 16^th April to honour the teenager. Alongside his family and friends, they walked 4km, finishing in the Barton Hills National Nature Reserve, where a memorial bench has been installed in George’s memory.

George’s mum Louise said: “It was a time of reflection, of thinking about George, and seeing everyone at his memorial bench was very overwhelming.”

The village was decorated in red ribbons – chosen because George’s favourite football team was Arsenal – and some of the family’s friends decorated his bench with red fairy lights and balloons.

Louise added: “I want people to remember George for the person he was, a kind, fun boy who was full of life. He really wanted to live and had amazing plans. He was really good at making things and wanted to be an architect. He loved his family and animals and knew so much about so many things. He just made us so proud all the time. It’s such a huge loss.”

Since George’s diagnosis, Louise and husband Matt have worked tirelessly with Brain Tumour Research to campaign for greater investment in research into brain tumours. With support from friends and family, they have also raised tens of thousands of pounds to sponsor 14 days of research at one of our Centres of Excellence.

“What we’re doing won’t bring him back, but we’ll continue to do what we can to help others in his memory. We want to continue to explore every avenue we can to make things better for the future,” said Louise.