Touching final wish of dad told he has months to live by doctors

A father-of-two with incurable pancreatic cancer, who has been given months to live, aims to make 'magical memories' with his family ahead of his last Christmas.

Lee Rawlinson, 51, who lives in Leigh-on-Sea, Essex, with his wife Faye, 48, a speech and language therapist, and children Darcey, 10, and Marley, seven, was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer on Halloween, after experiencing a dull pain in his lower abdomen. On the day of the “brutal” diagnosis on October 31, Lee, a medical sales representative, said doctors told him the cancer was inoperable, as it had spread to his liver, and he had “months to live”.

Lee still went trick-or-treating that night, and sat down with his children the following day to tell them the news. Marley later asked: “Is Daddy going to go into the clouds?”.

Although Lee said their “worlds have been blown apart”, he is now focusing on making memories with his family, including surprising his children with a trip to Lapland, and wants to raise awareness of this “horrible disease” to help ensure it does not “destroy another young family’s life”.

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Lee told PA Real Life: “This will be my last Christmas. I’m facing the jaws of death. I’m sailing towards it and I can’t do anything about it, yet I just have to face it.

“I don’t fear death, I fear leaving my children and Faye behind – not being able to be there when they’re in trouble, not being able to make it better when tears flow, watching Marley developing his football, watching Darcey developing her theatrical talents, not being able to be there for Faye. Survival for pancreatic cancer has barely improved since the 1970s and it’s got to change. I