Over 6 years ago, Francesca began her battle with Breast cancer. As with anyone else that picked a fight against Frankie, cancer didn't stand a chance.

Francesca's last round of chemotherapy ended just a week before I was to marry my fiancée, Stef. The treatment should have knocked her out, yet I distinctly remember being overwhelmed with pride seeing her dancing late into the evening with her 3 year old son, Jack. I managed to get through the ceremony and speeches without shedding a tear, but this was too much emotion for me to handle. She had a strength (stubbornness) that just could not be compared.

Sadly, as is often the case, cancer did not fight a fair fight. Although Frankie was given the all clear after months of treatment and surgery, and had a break from fighting, it was later discovered that behind the scenes the cancer had spread to her bones. There was no cure.

Despite the knowledge that this was a battle that could no longer be won, Frankie continued to fight. Did I mention she was stubborn? All the time that she was fighting the fight that could not be won, she was smiling. She devoted so much of her time to others despite knowing her time was limited, but that's just the type of person she was. I have said it before, and I'll say it again: I simply would not be where am I today, or who am I today, if it were not for Frankie.

6 months ago, she took a turn for the worse and was on a downhill slope since. Despite this, just last month she took a trip to France, with her son, to visit a good friend. There she was again, so close to the end, but smiling with that infectious smile. She may have been taken far too soon, but there are mountains of memories that cannot be taken.

The week before Francesca passed away, she was struggling with her breathing. It was decided that she needed to regain some strength, and that the best way for her to do that was to move to a hospice for a few days. She moved into the Hospice in the Weald near Tunbridge Wells that weekend. Sadly, on the 13th September, Francesca had no more fight left in her. She passed away peacefully, with her family by her side.

The hospice and its staff were absolutely fabulous, and all the family could not be more grateful. For this reason, we want to raise donations on behalf of the hospice. This is such a difficult time for the family, but having the support of the hospice made such a big difference. We want to ensure that other families that have to go through the same thing, get the same support.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.