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Grieving Mother Holds Daughter's "Soul" as She Passes Away from Brain Tumor
15 Nov
Summary
- Freya Bevan died in her mother's arms at age 9 after 7-year battle with brain tumor
- Mother Katherine Bevan felt Freya's "soul leave" her body as she took her last breath
- Katherine now runs grief counseling services to help others cope with losing a child
In November 2025, Katherine Bevan, a 52-year-old mother from Neath, South Wales, recounts the heartbreaking moment she felt her 9-year-old daughter Freya's "soul leave" her body as she held her close. Freya had been battling a brain tumor for 7 years, with the first signs emerging when she began vomiting frequently at just 20 months old.
After months of testing, Freya was diagnosed with a stage 4 brain tumor in 2014. Despite undergoing grueling surgeries, chemotherapy, and even proton beam therapy in the US, the tumor returned three times over the next 7 years. Tragically, in December 2021, Freya passed away in her mother's arms.
"Half of my heart went with her that day," says Katherine. "The pain of losing her is indescribable." Now, a year after Freya's death, Katherine has qualified as a counselor, specializing in bereavement, to help others cope with the devastating loss of a child. "Losing a child can be the loneliest place in the world," she says. "I want to help other people who are grieving to feel less alone."
