A terminally ill Scots dad will marry his sweetheart of 22 years after kind locals chipped in to help pay for their big day.
Peter Pender, from Pollok in Glasgow, has been battling bladder cancer since 2016 after first noticing blood in his urine which led to blood clots in his penis.
When doctors also discovered a tumour in his bladder, they removed it along with his prostate and lymph nodes, reports Glasgow Live.
The 53-year-old was then put on a clinical trial at the Beatson Centre in a bid to help other sufferers.
But in a devastating turn of events, a CT scan to mark the end of the trial in March this year showed his cancer had returned and it has now been diagnosed as terminal.
Peter is now determined to marry his partner of 22 years, Diane Sutherland, 43, on July 15.
The pair share three children; Henry, 18, James, 16, and Mackenzie, 14, who will all be there on July 15 to mark the special occasion.
Peter first locked eyes with Diane at Hotshots Bowling Alley, now Hollywood Bowl, at Springfield Quay, in 2000.
"It wasn't quite love at first sight but I thought she was a nice looking lassie, I liked her," Peter said.
"I offered her my seat and then she ordered us all shots. We started dating and have been together ever since."
After making the decision to get married, they have been left overwhelmed by the support from dozens of local businesses in Glasgow and beyond who have kindly donated services to make their big day as special as possible.
Thomas Coats Memorial Baptist Church in Paisley will provide the venue free of charge for Peter, Diane and their 100 guests.
And a number of generous Glasgow business owners have jumped on the bandwagon, donating everything from entertainment and food, to kilt hire and make-up.
The couple have been supported by charity Wedding Wish Makers, who stepped in to spread the word and pull together suppliers to ensure the day runs like clockwork.
Peter said: "I never ever wanted to get married. Now that I don't know how long I have left, I want to make Diane happy. Life is for living and we wanted to make it official.
"I cannot express how grateful I am to everyone who is chipping in to help us.
"So many kind people are coming out the woodwork. I'll never get over the generosity."
Before cancer "takes him down big style", Peter hopes getting hitched and speaking out will stop others from falling victim to a similar heartbreaking fate.
"Often bladder cancer can't be cured," Peter said. "I want to speak out while I have time left to raise awareness. I don't want this to happen to other people, if they can stop it.
"For now, I am just so buzzing for the wedding. It will be an amazing day with all my friends and family."
To donate to the fundraiser, click here.
