Dad had been struggling with back pain for most of last year and had seen doctors and physiotherapists who thought it was a muscular issue. He continued to work throughout the year and enjoyed his second trip to Australia where Tom is now living.

Finally in the autumn, dad was referred to a back specialist who ordered an MRI which led to his diagnosis of Mesothelioma.

Mesothelioma is a rare type of cancer caused by asbestos which mainly affects the lining of the lungs. Dad had a tumour on the lining of his lungs which was causing a significant amount of pain. Mesothelioma is not curable and unfortunately dad’s tumour was also not operable.

My dad was always a hardworking man and one of his first questions to the doctors was when would he be able to return to work.

We were put in touch with Macmillan straight away and we had fantastic support from one of their specialist palliative care team. She helped us every step of the way ensuring dad was comfortable and supported.

Tom and his partner Niki came home from Australia for Christmas and we were able to spend time together as a family. In total we had 11 people and 3 dogs for Christmas which reminded us all of the days when we had a house full for Christmas dinner.

Dad was never one to sit still so we took him on lots of days trips and went out for lots of coffee and cake. Tom came home from Australia to spend more time together as a family.

It was always dad’s wish to be cared for at home so when the time came we had his hospital bed set up here at home. During this time, we received wonderful support from the District nurses and Marie Curie and we would not have been able to keep dad comfortable at home without their support.

The last few weeks where dad couldn’t get up and walk around were tough but he didn’t lose his sense of humour and managed to make a few jokes in those last few weeks making many of the nurses smile.

Dad sadly passed away on the 28^th May. He fought right up until the very end and slipped away when we weren’t expecting it. Earlier that day he had even made it to the dining table to enjoy a meal with us.

His passing leaves a huge hole but we know that he is no longer suffering and is at peace. We cherish all of the special memories we have of him and hold him in our hearts.

Those we love never truly leave us.