The husband of a much-loved school headteacher has told how she died after going to the doctors with what she thought was a stitch.
Ros Atkins died on October 3 last year just a year after being diagnosed with stage four terminal bowel cancer.
The 43 year old primary school head was on holiday in Scotland with her husband John and their daughter Maggie, then aged six, when she first started experiencing pain in the right side of her body.
She thought the pain, which was like a stitch, may have been down to a pulled a muscle while sleeping in different hotel beds at the time.
But a the pain got worse when she returned to her home in Gateacre, Liverpool, she booked an appointment to see her GP.
Ros went on to undergo a number of scans and tests and after a colonoscopy at St Helens Hospital, in Merseyside she was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer and told secondary cancer cells had also spread to her liver and lymph nodes.
Ros was given between 18 months and five years to live.
Following her death, husband John, 42, has spoken of how his wife "was like a light that never goes out".
He added: "She was a real beacon to us, to all our family and friends she's an inspiration. Even though she's not here, we still talk about her and celebrate her and remember her, and I don't see that ever changing.
"We met at St Martin's College and were together for 22 years, but we knew each other for 25. She lived in a girls flat above our lads flat, and from the first day we met we hung around in a big group; we stuck together from day one."
The loving mum was also described by school governors as "a well-respected and much loved headteacher" who "enriched the lives of many children with her caring nature, encouraging all to be the best version of themselves."
As her health declined Ros was looked after by the Marie Curie Hospice in Woolton, and today, (March 23) John, his friends and family, will celebrate her life as part of the Marie Curie's third National Day of Reflection.
John said: "It's been a difficult few months, but the Marie Curie appeal has given me something to focus on.
"We're passionate about supporting them, and all our friends and family are supporting them in various ways, whether that's running marathons, knitting, or holding business lunches.
"That's why Thursday is such an important day for us. It's a chance for us all to come together and remember Ros."
John said he struggled with the thought of his wife in a hospice and had a misconception as to what it would be like.
He added: "I never, ever wanted to set foot in Marie Curie. My misconception was that it was a place you'd never want to go to, but it's an unbelievable place in many respects. While you're in there they can't do enough for you.
"Initially their priority was to manage Ros' pain, and they were able to devote more time and care than she would've had in a normal hospital. There was nothing they wouldn't try. That went not just for Ros, but anyone who went in there.
"What I'm most grateful for is the continuation of their support for Maggie and myself.
"That's why we want to give something back. It's important to us. It's part of our life story now. I'd rather embrace it.
"One of the final things that made me in awe of them was that Ros would have turned 44 on October 11.
"She passed away on the 3rd, but the nurses knew what was coming and they suggested bringing her birthday forward to celebrate it. We had a little party, put the telly on, put some music on. Little things like that goes far beyond what a normal nurse would do.
"Even the day Ros passed, they went out of their way to go above and beyond for us.
"They're all just amazing. We always had a little October holiday with our close friends, which we called Octoberfest. This year we've called it Rosfest, because that's the power she had over our friendship group. "
