A man is working tirelessly to fulfil his late girlfriend's final wish after she was tragically given just one week to live.
Aidan Solan and his girlfriend Alex Halley had been enjoying a fairytale romance before it was revealed that Alex, 27, had cervical cancer.
The couple had been celebrating a friend's wedding in Italy when Alex got a call from the doctor to confirm the earth-shattering news.
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Alex, who worked with the NHS as an occupational therapist, had been suffering from stomach problems for some time before she received her diagnosis, with the couple initially putting it down to her coming off the contraceptive pill.
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"Your mind always goes to the most positive outcome", said Aidan, reflecting on the situation.
Unfortunately, the true cause was something much more sinister.
For the few months after her diagnosis, Alex was taken in and out of hospital for treatment, taking everything 'on the chin' right up until she was told she likely had one week to live..
Recalling the devastating call, Aidan told The Mirror: "We got told on Thursday that it was terminal, and I said my proper last goodbyes then. I sat in the room with her, and played the song that we always joked would be our first dance at our wedding."
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In those moments, Alex and Aidan discussed her dream of opening an accessible playground for children with disabilities.
Aidan remembers Alex, who worked in a school for children with physical disabilities and additional sensory needs, as having 'such a positive impact on people's lives, particularly these children.'
Heartbreakingly, after that conversation, Aidan tested positive for covid-19, so he couldn't come back to visit his girlfriend in her final days.
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Alex passed away at age 27, just eight weeks after her initial diagnosis.
Now, Aidan is determined to make his girlfriend's dream a reality and make sure she is remembered for her kind nature.
"She'd come home every night with a big beaming smile on her face, showing me pictures of pyjama day with the kids, or something funny that one of the kids had said.
"She'd found her calling as an occupational therapist, and working with these kids particularly", said Aidan.
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"Friends, family, whoever that might be, would have experienced the Alex I'm describing to you.
"That caring, loving, selfless person. I see [the playground] as a way that could prolong the legacy that she was already building."
Aidan has already been in touch with local councils and park construction teams, and has now set up a fundraiser, hoping to gather £80,000 of donations to build Alex's accessible playground.
So far, the fundraiser has amassed a total of £22,316.
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You can donate to the cause here.
Featured Image Credit: Supplied