A "loving" dad-of-four died in his wife's arms just months after finding out he had terminal cancer.
Craig Lawrence passed away on Tuesday, January 11 at his home in Skelmersdale.
The 50-year-old is survived by his partner of 33 years Wendy Hale, 48, his children Jamie, 28, Amy, 22, Abbie, 15, and Aidan, 11, and granddaughter Ellie.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to give "family man" Craig, who was diagnosed on August 16 last year, "the send off he deserves".
The HGV driver initially visited his GP when he started having difficulty swallowing food and drink, and was told he was suffering from acid reflux, the Liverpool Echo reports.
But when his symptoms continued he was referred for further tests after returning home from a holiday to Wales.
Wendy said: "They got us in a room and they told us it was a malignant tumour, oesophageal cancer, just a couple of days before we'd come back from holiday.
"They left us in a room to give us a minute to digest it. We just looked at each other and burst into tears.
"[The doctor] came back in and said they took six biopsies but he knew what it was, it was definitely a malignant tumour."
After being referred to the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre in August last year, Craig was told the devastating news his cancer was incurable but treatable.
He had a stent fitted which allowed him to eat and drink again but in November he was referred for another scan after he started experiencing pain in his left leg.
Wendy said: "The cancer had gone to the bones in his hip so he had to have an operation."
Before the operation, Craig suffered another setback after he broke two bones in his hip, leaving him in severe pain.
He had the operation at Southport Hospital but later received more bad news when he was told a tumour was also growing rapidly in his other hip.
Over Christmas, Craig tested positive for coronavirus and he was admitted to Southport Hospital on New Year's Eve.
Wendy said he managed to fight off the virus but by this point she was told the cancer "just took over his whole body."
"On January 6 he told them he'd had enough of the antibiotics, they were making him ill and his whole body was sore, it was black and blue.
"They said they're not really doing much for you now and the only thing we can do for you now is keep you comfortable."
Craig died in Wendy's arms days after returning home from hospital, with his son Jamie holding his hand.
Wendy hopes sharing Craig's story will help to raise awareness of oesophageal cancer and encourage others who are experiencing symptoms to go to the doctors and get them checked.
Paying tribute to Craig, Wendy said: "I'm still numb, it's not hit me yet. I'm still expecting him to come home from work or sometimes it still feels like he's in hospital and he'll be coming out of hospital in a few days.
"He was lovely. He was a lovely dad and a lovely grandad to Ellie, our granddaughter. He was hard working and he'd do anything for anyone. He was very laid back.
"You couldn't ask for a better husband to be honest. He was very hard working and he was a proper family man. He has always put his family first before himself."
Craig's funeral will be held on February 1, on what would have been his 51st birthday.
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