THE family of a young man who died from a brain tumour have organised a special concert in his honour.

Reece Hawley, 21, succumbed after trying to fight off the tumours when NHS funding for the cancer drug, Avastin, was withdrawn.

Since then his family have set up the Reece Hawley Foundation and provide grants for holidays and equipment for young people suffering, or recovering from, cancer.

His family have organised a live music event as their latest fundraiser, booked for this Saturday, at The Edge Nightclub, in Basildon.

The Thumbs Up for Reece event will see a night of live music provided by the Old Street Rockers in aid of the foundation starting at 7.30pm.

Reece’s sister, Robyn, chair of the foundation, said: “Since we became the Reece Hawley Foundation we have worked towards raising money and awareness to give families with young people suffering from cancer the chance to make memories together.

“We have a holiday home in Kessingland so we can send families there for a short break to spend time together and away from the hospitals and everyday life.”

Through their grant funding the foundation offers individuals the chance to have a little time away from the draining effects of hospital visits and treatment schedules in order to try to make up some of the time spent away from family and friends and put a little normality back into life to help them make lasting memories and special moments.

Reece, a former pupil at Woodlands School, Basildon, and a South Essex College student, was healthy until he had a bleed on the brain in 2013.

After six weeks of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, his family thought he was on the mend, but Reece was given the devastating news doctors had found two tumours on the day he was due to be discharged.

He died in October 2014 at St Luke’s Hospice, Basildon, surrounded by friends and family. His family have since raised hundreds of thousands of pounds.

Tickets are £10, contact kazlouhawley@msn.com to book.