A grandad who believed his asthma was playing up died from cancer just weeks before he was due to walk his daughter down the aisle.
Doug Ormsby - known as Dougie - was also days from turning 66 when he passed away from mesothelioma, possibly as a result of asbestos exposure, reports the Liverpool Echo.
The dad-of-three, from the Broadgreen suburb of Liverpool, was "really healthy" and cycled to work every day, according to his heartbroken wife Marie.
Prior to his death, Dougie got in touch with solicitors who then began investigating whether he was exposed to deadly asbestos during his nearly 50 years working in the motor trade.
Marie said her husband of 39 years was "very well liked, no-one had a bad word to say about him".
"He never argued with anyone, he got on with everyone, he was such a nice person, it's cruel."
She continued: "He was never off work sick, he loved work and he cycled all the way to work every day. He never ate crap and was really healthy so this was a shock."
Dougie was given between 18 months and two years to live on diagnosis at Liverpool's Heart and Chest Hospital but lived just 10 months before he passed away in November 2019.
That same month his daughter was getting married, with her brother stepping in to give her away in the absence of their dad.
Marie explained when Dougie started to feel unwell he thought his asthma was rearing up and was initially diagnosed with a suspected chest infection.
But when he failed to get any better, it was found that he had mesothelioma.
Dougie had worked for the Massey Coldbeck Electric Motor Service and Massey Coldbeck Engineering from 1969 until he retired in 2017.
A spokesperson for the firm said it has referred the matter of asbestos to its insurers.
In 2018, Dougie had first noticed he was struggling with a shortness of breath but quickly deteriorated further before being eventually correctly diagnosed in January 2019.
Marie said: "People don't know much about the disease, there's no cure. It's a cruel death, it just seems unfair.
"We want to prevent others going through what we have been through. No-one knows about it unless you get it.
"For someone so healthy to deteriorate like that is unbelievable. If you have a cough just get it checked out, get a second opinion. It's just horrific.
"All his organs closed down, his time had sadly come. More needs to be done."
Dougie's family are being supported by the Mesothelioma Monday meeting group, part of charity Merseyside Asbestos Victim Support Group.
More information can be found online by clicking here or on the national asbestos forum.
People are being asked to contact Katrina London on 0161 838 7262 or by e-mail at Katrina.london@IrwinMitchell.com if they have any information they believe could help in relation to Doug's death.
A spokesperson for Massey Coldbeck: "We have referred the matter to our insurers who are dealing with it and we have no further comment to make."
