A heartbroken wife has paid tribute to her 'kind, gentle and loving' husband who has died just two weeks after the couple married at his bedside.
Gavin Donnelly, 33, lost his life to cancer on Saturday, September 3, at 10.18pm. He had recently been told he had two months left to live after learning that the cancer had spread to his pelvis, as well as his right leg, lung, bowel, liver, and spleen.
After learning of his diagnosis, Gavin and his partner Caroline vowed to make the most of the little time they had left. They married at their Silksworth home by Gavin's bedside on August 19, surrounded by their loved ones.
Read more: Sunderland man marries love of his life at his bedside after he's diagnosed with terminal cancer
Today newly-wed Caroline Donnelly paid tribute to her husband. The 25-year-old said: "He was so down to earth and he was always there for everyone. If someone needed help, Gavin would be there straight away, that's the type of person he was."
She added: "The grief hasn't hit me yet because I keep thinking he's in hospital and he's going to come back home. I just keep thinking he's going to come home."
Caroline explained that the couple, who got engaged in March and had originally planned to get married next year, had been almost inseparable since they met in September 2020. She described him as "the kindest person ever, who had such a gentle soul and was so loving."
She added: "He had been a fighter since January, he fought so hard, even when he was ready to pass away. Three days before he passed away the nurses said he wasn't going to make it to the end of the night, but he held on and held on.
"He waited until I held his hand and then he passed. He was really unresponsive but before he went he managed to wake up and tell me that he loved me."
Gavin was previously diagnosed with sarcoma in his left leg four years ago but after going through chemotherapy he was given the all-clear. But in December 2021, he began suffering from what he believed was sciatica pain in his right leg.
In January, he went to the doctors as he was still experiencing pain and a number of scans sadly revealed that the cancer had returned with a vengeance. Gavin was told that he had cancer in his right leg and that it was pressing against his sciatica nerves which was causing the pain.
However, he didn't start chemotherapy until April as he had to endure three operations due to a blockage in his bowel, as well as developing infections, and then catching Covid-19. Caroline, who became his full-time carer, said that Gavin had been bed-bound due to extreme swelling in his leg in the final weeks of his life.
Following his passing, people have been making donations towards the cost of Gavin's funeral via a GoFundMe page. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so by following this link.
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