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My Beloved son James died 10th December 2013. The heartbreak then and now is indescribable. James had Testicular Cancer. I'm telling his story so that men, young and old are aware how easily this illness can strike BUT how successful the treatment is when diagnosed.

James first symptom was a bad back. None of us thought it was serious. Eventually after some persuading he went to the doctor who gave him painkillers. It didn't seem to get any better so he went back to the doctor who sent him for a blood test. The test showed inflammation which led to an MRI. I went with him for the MRI and I can remember him laughing when he put the gown on and came out of the cubicle. This led to a CT scan two days later and on the drive home he got a phone call telling him to go straight to hospital as he had spots on his lung and a mass in his abdomen. The next four days were a roller coaster. We got him home from hospital, we celebrated his 31st birthday and the next day took him for a biopsy. Testicular Cancer was diagnosed, which the doctor told him had a 95% survival rate. We celebrated.......he had such good odds. We were so happy and relieved. We had a lovely family dinner, my daughters were there too. We all told him how much we loved him and he told us how much he loved us too. After dinner he collapsed because a blood clot had moved. We got him to hospital, he was very poorly but then he stabilised. He was moved to intensive care, where he died a few hours later at 3.50am.

James worked with me for ten years and gained a degree for Quantity Surveying in 2012, which he did in three years of very hard work. He was extremely well liked as was shown by our carpenters and customers reactions to his death. He was just a very nice, good man, never having a bad word or action against anyone. I was aware of this but didn't fully appreciate just how good and kind he was. Just as I was aware how hard he worked but took it for granted. It's not easy working with your son but it's far harder working with your father. Even now I think of something and realise I have not got James with me. I wish I could tell him what I have just written, I wish I could hold him once again.

I am so very proud of my son and miss him desperately.

Give your kids a hug, you have no idea how much you love them.