The family of North East 10-year-old Seren Nicole Warren are raising awareness of DIPG brain tumours and have raised over £32,000 for research into the rare childhood cancer.
Sue Kirby Multi-media Journalist
08:26, 09 May 2026
Seren Warren and teaching assistant mum Lindsay Warren(Image: UGC)
A heartbroken North East family is channelling their grief into fundraising after losing their courageous 10-year-old daughter to a devastating brain tumour. Seren Nicole Warren, from Marske, was diagnosed with Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, an inoperable grade four brain tumour discovered in part of her brain stem in February last year.
Tragically, the young girl lost her fight against the cancer on April 1. Her grief-stricken family now hopes to raise awareness of the condition, with the wish that children diagnosed with it in the future will have access to better treatments and, at the very least, be granted more precious time with their loved ones.
Mum Lindsay Warren said: “No parent should ever have to hear ‘between nine and 12 months so make memories.”
The 43-year-old, who says losing Seren just doesn’t feel real, said: “We have known since last February that this was going to happen so we have been putting so much into making memories and that sort of thing and now it has happened it just doesn’t feel real.”
Lindsay said her three other children, Libby, 15, Milo, 12, and Marnie, nine, are what keep her and husband Stephen Warren, 43, going from day to day. She added: “We have to just keep going for them”, reports Teesside Live.
Seren’s parents first grew concerned when she began slurring her speech and experienced balance difficulties and double vision. As her condition deteriorated, doctors at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary (RVI) were faced with delivering the crushing diagnosis. What ensued was 30 sessions of exhausting radiotherapy, and during her final days Seren lost the ability to walk, speak or even swallow. Lindsay described Seren as a “beautiful soul” who maintained her smile and brought laughter to those around her.
She said: “She was really stubborn, since the day she was born. But, she was so brave throughout. I don’t think I could have gone through everything she went through.
“We are all heartbroken, but so incredibly proud of our funny, beautiful and stubborn girl. We would never have imagined when we gave Seren her name (it means Star in Welsh), that she would become the brightest star above us, but she will shine forever on anyone that knew her.”
Lindsay, who works as a teaching assistant at Errington Primary School where Seren was a pupil, revealed that hundreds gathered, including students and staff from the school, to stand along the streets during the youngster’s funeral earlier this month.
She said: “Hundreds of people lined the street and clapped Seren as she went through the village, it was just incredible and I know she would have loved that. What a community; we probably didn’t even know a lot of them, yet they all took time to do that.” The family is now working to raise awareness of Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma, and a fundraiser, originally established to support them, is now collecting donations for Abbie’s Army, a charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness of DIPG brain tumours, and Children’s Cancer North, which provided support to Seren and her family. The total has already exceeded £32,000.
Lindsay said: “The medical team at the RVI were absolutely phenomenal. But, there hasn’t been any advance in treatments for this type of cancer in more than 40 years ago. Around 40 children a year die from it in the UK – one child dying is too many. We can’t do anything for Seren now, but we have to make sure other families are not in the same position as us and that one day there will be breakthroughs.”
Those wishing to contribute can visit the fundraising page established for Seren here.
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