A sister paid tribute to her 'amazing' older brother and their “special” bond after he died of cancer.
Chloe Powell, 26, said Callum Powell, 28, was an “amazing person” who made everyone around him "feel loved". At his funeral “hundreds of people” lined the streets before celebrating his life at the wake in Chester Fields Country Pub.
Cal’s interests included going to indie rock gigs and festivals, climbing, skiing and walking. The close siblings had the same taste in music and made many fond memories at Glastonbury Festival in 2017, ‘18 and ‘19.
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Chloe told the ECHO: “Our family went into shock when Cal was diagnosed, it was difficult to process. When [Cal] was told he didn’t have long left to live we went into some sort of denial.
“Cal had a positive mindset and was so strong. Towards the end of his life he was pulling us through it. He was such a positive person and always smiling.”
She added: “When I was 18 he took me to my first abroad festival with a group of our friends and later to Berlin to see Kasabian for my 21st birthday.
“Seriously, what a cool brother. Both weekends I will cherish forever along with our legendary Glastonbury trips.
“He loved Glastonbury, it was his favourite place on the planet. He left me with new music playlists which I am still discovering new songs on now.
“The quality of Cal’s life outweighed the quantity. I truly believe that he achieved… and accomplished much more than most people double his age.”
Cal often took a Spanish flag emblazoned with the words Costa d'El Porto to music festivals. The banner became synonymous with him and in his memory the 28-year-old’s close friends brought it to Glastonbury this year.
It was spotted on the BBC’s coverage of Paul McCartney’s blockbuster headline gig at Worthy Farm on Saturday June 25.
Cal contracted stage 4 gastroesophageal cancer in May 19 2021 and died 12 months later on May 25 2022.
Prior to the illness the Ellesmere Port man was “extremely healthy” and regularly exercised. When Cal started to experience symptoms the disease was very advanced and had begun to spread.
Oesophageal cancer affects 9,000 people every year in the UK, disproportionately affecting those over the age of 75. Chloe along with her parents Nicola, 53, and Keith, 57 want to raise awareness of the silent killer.
Chloe said: “We are hoping in five to ten years they can discover a treatment which will at least extend people’s lives. [Cal] tried all sorts of treatments, but they were limited [in their success].
“He was treated by a fantastic professor who he really believed in. We want [more] funds to go into research and find some sort of treatment option.”
A JustGiving page set up in his memory has so far raised £1,073, 214% above its original target of £500. Donations will go to the Oesophago-gastric Research Fund for The Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
On the page Chloe wrote: “The Oesophago-gastric Research Fund works towards finding more treatment options and potentially curative measures for this specific cancer, with the hope that in the future, people in Cal’s position will be given a better outlook.”
There was no history of cancer in the Powell family before Cal's death, according to Chloe. However she does not want this or the illness to define her brother's life.
She said: “I don’t want Cal to be defined by [his] cancer diagnosis. I want him to be remembered for all the things he was prior to this, that happy go lucky guy, who lit up every room, with the most contagious laugh and always had a smile on his face.
“Even when Cal’s world was falling down around him, he was strong, selfless, caring and full of life, which truly shows what an outstanding, courageous and remarkable human he really was.”
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