'˜I can never thank the Rowans staff enough for what they did'
In March, 2010, I met my wife Sarah. I noticed her as she was beautiful, bright and always smiling. '˜I would do my Joey out of Friends' '˜How you doin'?' impression, which would bring a bigger smile to her face.
'˜Our first date was on April 12, 2010, at the Rusty Cutter in Bedhampton and our first kiss was the same night. We talked until the early hours and I didn't want it to end.
'˜The second date was a film and McDonald's. I still have the toy Sarah got with her Happy Meal.
'˜Sarah changed my life for the better, she made me the man I am today and filled my heart with love and joy. It was the start of a lifelong love letter.
'˜I finally found the courage to ask her to be my wife on October 12, 2014, whilst on holiday in Cyprus visiting the Baths of Aphrodite. She said: '˜Yes, you fool.'
'˜I was complete and so, so happy. We married on October 28, 2016 at Christ Church, Portsdown.
'˜It was an amazing day, she looked so beautiful and so happy.
'˜I cried with love and disbelief that she was going to be my wife.
'˜The best part was I became hers and she became mine. More than that, I became the other half of her. But now I am just half.
'˜On March 23 this year Sarah was diagnosed with terminal cancer. The bottom fell out of my world.
'˜I would be strong for Sarah, but when I was alone I would just cry.
'˜I remember her expression when we received the news. She was so brave, accepting the fate that awaited her.
'˜After a week at the QA Hospital and a little time at home, Sarah was admitted into the Rowans.
'˜Five days later she lost her battle and passed away on April 11, 2018, a day before we should have been celebrating eight years together.
'˜The short time we were at the Rowans was a pure blessing.
'˜They allowed Sarah to maintain her dignity, to have control, her freedom and, most of all, to have her family close.
'˜The care and compassion the Rowans showed was above and beyond my expectations.
'˜Sarah was kept comfortable and I will always remember the last night before the cancer took control and Sarah was heavily sedated.
'˜The only intimacy we managed when my darling Sarah became ill was the honour I had of showering her.
'˜But most of all she wanted a bath and, with the pain she was in, it was impossible during her time at home.
'˜The staff at the Rowans went out of their way to enable Sarah and I to have one more bath.
'˜She laid in the water pain-free and I could lovingly wash her and tend to her hair.
'˜It is a memory, a gift that the Rowans gave us and one that I will remember for the rest of my life and to the day I join my Sarah.
'˜I cannot and never will be able to thank the Rowans enough.
'˜The last night I had with Sarah, I just held her until the end.
'˜If such a thing could be beautiful, the Rowans made it so.
'˜This is the reason I decided to do the Great South Run, in memory of the woman who made me who I am.
'˜My beautiful wife and the most amazing mother to Dan, Jed, Emma and Kirsten, the best grandma to Billy, Daisy, Amy, Jackson, Charlotte and Eli.
'˜And I ran for the Rowans, as I want others to have the same experience as we did during the darkest and emotional times.'