Paul Cross

My husband Paul, was a young, fit and healthy man of 45 years old. We were happily living our life and planning our future together when we noticed that his eye balls were yellow. He went into hospital for tests to determine the cause of jaundice and then our world suddenly fell apart.

Paul was diagnosed with stage 3 Pancreatic cancer and had the potentially curative Whipple’s surgical procedure. Paul recovered from surgery well and we were hopeful, but a few months later we received the devastating news that the cancer had spread into his bloodstream and that it was a terminal prognosis of 2-3 months.

We decided not to proceed with any chemotherapy and went full steam ahead into life and enjoying every moment with each other, friends and family. We made many great memories. We got married, went on safari, he went to the races in a helicopter, fishing and camping trips, went on his mates stag do, we got a puppy.

He passed away peacefully at home 6 months after the initial diagnosis with me, his brother and best friend at his side.

Paul had so many friends, he quickly formed new friendships and was highly regarded and respected amongst people he’s known for many years. He was instantly likeable and endearingly loyal, he was loved by so many and was forever generous with his time, thoughts and reverence for others. A proper go to guy, always up for a laugh and good times.

He was a true hero. His strength and positive attitude in the face of adversity was amazing. He never complained about his cruel luck with this cancer and continued to live life to the full, always with a smile on his face. As heartbroken as I am today, I can surely say how lucky I am to of spent a few wonderful years with Paul, and how grateful I am for every second we shared. He is missed by many every day and his memory will live on in the stories people share of how he touched their lives.

I was astonished at how aggressive pancreatic cancer is, how quickly it spread. It is hard to believe that by the time symptoms present themselves it is usually too late for treatment. Pancreatic Cancer UK was a valuable resource for us at the time and it is a valuable source of research funding for the future. More research and focus is needed into early detection of this cancer and effective treatment. If we can raise a few quid in memory of Paul that will help others in the future then I know he would be very happy about this and so would I. Thank you.