A 'perfect' dad was given just months to live after spotting a lump in his tummy which he initially thought was a hernia.
Mark Jones, 46, noticed the lump while training for a marathon in December and was diagnosed with terminal cancer soon afterwards.
The runner, from Urmston, Greater Manchester, died just three months later leaving behind his wife Sarah and daughters Sadie and Poppy.
His mum Rita recalled the "awful" moment she sat with her son at his bedside when he took his last breath and said the family are left devastated.
"He was the kindest lad you could ever wish to meet. We loved him," she told Manchester Evening News.
"He was the perfect dad and did everything he could for his daughters. He was so funny and had so many friends. I miss him terribly."
Mark discovered a lump in his stomach while training for a marathon in December and initially thought he may have developed a hernia.
But he then became increasingly tired and began experiencing pains in his back and the side of his body.
After a series of scans, doctors confirmed the lump to be kidney cancer and told Mark he had just months to live.
In February, he learned that the cancer was already so advanced it was 'incurable' and put his hopes on treatment options that would allow him to live long enough to spend Christmas with his family.
But he took a turn for the worse and was admitted to Salford Royal Hospital where he passed away last Tuesday.
Mark's friend John Davies described him as a "fighter until the end."
His mum Rita praised the nurses at the hospital for the support they gave to her son in his final days.
"They were the nicest nurses you could ever wish for. They treated us like royalty," she said.
Following Mark's death, dozens of people have taken to Twitter to pay tribute to him.
Nichola Morris said: "Cancer has cruelly stolen another one from us far too young and too soon. It always takes the good ones.
"The heartbreak across Stretford and Urmston this morning is enormous. You were so loved by so many and will leave a massive gap. RIP Jonesy. You were one of the best."
Mark tied the knot with his partner Sarah in a short ceremony at their family home after his diagnosis.
They were joined by loved ones with the couple's daughters acting as ring bearers for the big occasion.
A group of Mark's closest friends raised more than £40,000 for Macmillan Cancer Support by walking the Manchester Marathon earlier this month.
Manchester United legend Roy Keane was among those who made a donation in Mark's honour.
The football player even visited Mark, a Manchester United fan, at his home less than two weeks before his death.
