Tributes have been paid to a "perfect" dad-of-two and huge Manchester United fan who has died following a battle with cancer.
Mark Jones, from Urmston, passed away last Tuesday (March 22) - weeks after being told he had just months to live. The 46-year-old leaves behind his wife Sarah, daughters, Sadie and Poppy.
Mark's mum Rita said the family had been left "devastated" by his tragic death. "He was the kindest lad you could ever wish to meet," she said in an emotional tribute. "We loved him.
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"He was the perfect dad and did everything he could for his daughters. He was so funny and had so many friends. I miss him terribly.
"To be sat with him at his bedside when he took his last breath was awful."
Mark, from Urmston discovered a lump in his stomach while training for a marathon back in December. At first, he thought he may have developed a hernia but he then became increasingly tired and began experiencing pains in his back and the side of his body.
After a series of scans, doctors confirmed the lump to be kidney cancer and told Mark he had just months to live. In February, he learned that the cancer was already so advanced it was 'incurable'.
Speaking to the M.E.N. last month, he said he hoped to explore treatment options so he could live long enough to spend Christmas with his family. However, after taking a turn for the worse recently, he was admitted to Salford Royal Hospital where he passed away last Tuesday.
Rita praised the nurses at the hospital for the support they gave to her son in his final days. "They were the nicest nurses you could ever wish," she said. "They treated us like royalty."
Following the news of Mark's tragic death, dozens of people have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to him. Nichola Morris said: "Cancer has cruelly stolen another one from us far too young and too soon. It always takes the good ones.
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"The heartbreak across Stretford and Urmston this morning is enormous. You were so loved by so many and will leave a massive gap. RIP Jonesy. You were one of the best."
Meanwhile, Mark's friend John Davies described him as a "fighter until the end."
Follow his diagnosis, Mark tied the knot with his partner Sarah in a short ceremony at their family home. They were joined by loved ones, while the couple's daughters acted as ring bearers for the big occasion.
A group of Mark's closest friends raised more than £40,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support by walking the Manchester Marathon earlier this month. United legend Roy Keane was among those who made a donation and even visited Mark at his home less than two weeks before his death.
