A man whose girlfriend suddenly passed away at the age of 27 is now determined to turn her final wish into a reality.
Just a couple of months before Alex Halley passed away, she and boyfriend Aidan Solan had been celebrating a friend's wedding in Italy.
The 27-year-old, who Aidan described as a 'caricature of a good person', had been feeling poorly, and it was during the trip that the couple received a call from a doctor to tell them she had cervical cancer.
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Alex had been suffering from stomach problems for a while, though the couple had initially assumed it was a side effect of her coming off the contraceptive pill, with Aidan explaining 'your mind always goes to the most positive potential outcome'.
Alex spent the next couple of months going in and out of hospital before being checked in as an impatient five weeks before she died.
She remained strong throughout the ordeal, taking it all 'on the chin' right up until she was told she most likely had only one week left to live.
Telling their story to The Mirror, Aidan recalled: "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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It was that same day that Aidan and Alex spoke about her dream to open an accessible playground where children with disabilities could play with their friends and siblings.
Alex worked with the NHS as an occupational therapist in a school for children with physical disabilities and additional sensory needs, with Aidan explaining 'she had such a positive impact on people's lives, particularly these children'.
Shortly after saying his last proper goodbyes, Aidan tested positive for coronavirus, meaning he couldn't return to the hospital to see Alex.
A couple of days later, and just eight weeks after her diagnosis, Alex passed away at the age of 27.
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Aidan has now set up a fundraiser to help make Alex's playground dream come to life, and has so far raised more than £22,000 towards a goal of £80,000.
He described Alex as someone whose kind nature would 'shine through', and said you would struggle to meet anyone who 'enjoys their work as much'.
"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."
As well as working as an occupational therapist, Alex volunteered for three weeks during the coronavirus pandemic to work night shifts on the covid wards.
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"Friends, family, whoever that might be, would have experienced the Alex I'm describing to you," Aidan said. “That caring, loving, selfless person. I see [the playground] as a way that could prolong the legacy that she was already building."
You can donate to Aidan's fundraiser here.
Emily Brown