Colin Burt, from Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, was 49 when he died from a brain tumour he had bravely fought for five years. Colin was happily married to Fiona and together they enjoyed a life full of love, travel and music. Now, 43-year-old Fiona is sharing her late husband’s story, to remember Colin and to offer comfort and solidarity to others on a similar journey. Colin was diagnosed with an orange-sized, grade 2 meningioma in 2014, after months of suffering from migraines and blurred vision. He underwent two brain surgeries and radiotherapy before his treatment options eventually ran out. Fiona said: “Colin talked to his carers about the end of his life. He wanted to know what would happen and how it would feel. The two of us also discussed his Will and funeral plans. These are not conversations a couple in their forties should have to have.”
Colin died on 5 August 2019, after suffering a massive seizure while Fiona was at work. In the messages of condolence that followed, Colin was frequently described as ‘a gentleman’, always there with a smile and a joke.
Fiona, who volunteered at Brain Tumour Research’s Walk of Hope, added: “It was comforting to know just how loved he was. Colin wouldn’t have believed how many people came to his funeral and he would’ve said they were there for me and not him! That is the kind of guy he was.
“Colin was my future. He was my kind, caring, thoughtful husband and best friend and nothing could have prepared me for life without him. I am never going to give up hope that at some point I can be happy again. I will try. But Colin will always be in my heart. I will never stop loving him.”
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