Postie and Cop Marc Thompson, 26, loses brave cancer fight

[TrueBlueTerrier]

Volunteer cop Marc Thompson, 26, loses brave cancer fight

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A DEVOTED young father and dedicated special constable has died at the age of 26 after battling an aggressive form of cancer for more than a year.

Marc Thompson was hoping to become a regular policeman after gaining huge respect in his volunteer role in Derby.

But his ambition was tragically cut short when a spinal tumour spread to his brain, leaving him using a wheelchair.

Marc's symptoms began shortly before the birth of his son, Connor, now two.

As doctors tried to find the source of a weakness in his left leg, postman Marc would continue to get up at 4am, deliver his round, return home and grab a couple of hours' sleep before going out on the streets on patrol as a "special".

But he had to cut short his volunteering when finally, in November last year, medics confirmed they had found a rare form of cancer in his spine.

In July this year, Marc and long-term partner Cat married in the Macmillan Unit at Royal Derby Hospital.

Marc finally succumbed to the disease at home in Mickleover, surrounded by his family.

Cat, 28, said: "Marc was young and fit, we couldn't understand why it happened to him. He was the bravest person I have ever known and I loved him dearly.

Derbyshire Chief Constable Mick Creedon said: "Marc's fight against his illness was quite remarkable.

"I know that he was very proud to serve his county."

Laura Barker, a special constable colleague of Marc, said: "It still doesn't seem real that I'm never going to walk on patrol with Marc again."

It started as a tingling feeling down Marc's left leg only three months before his "idolised" son Connor was born.

At the time, in February 2010, he was 24 and studying hard to become a special constable in Derbyshire police.

On what his family described as "one of the proudest nights of their lives" – a month after the tingling feelings began – Marc became one of the 350 volunteer cops who help regular officers keep Derbyshire safe.

Standing proudly in his uniform, toasting his success that night, he, his family and colleagues had no idea of the emotional battle that lay ahead of them.

Marc shrugged off his symptoms to continue in his job as a postman and to patrol the streets as a "special".

However, after a battery of tests, the news finally came that he had cancer. Last November, doctors found a cancerous growth entwined in his spine.

Gruelling surgery, then chemotherapy and radiotherapy sapped the energy of the fitness-mad and much-loved husband, son and grandson.

But the tumour spread to his brain and despite fits, bouts of "horrendous sickness" and hallucinations, Marc always fought back, defying the experts who on more than one occasions told his family to expect the worst.

Then, in the early hours of September 17, Marc finally lost his brave battle for life at the family home in Earlswood Drive, Mickleover.

Mum Mandy Taylor said: "On the Friday before Marc died he asked me to hold his mobile phone to his ear so he could speak to his wife, Cat.

"His face always lit up when he spoke to her.

"When he came off the phone he looked at me and my husband, Tim, and said 'if I don't make it through the night, I love you both'.

"Marc was gym and fitness-mad and he told us he felt trapped in his own body.

"It was so hard for him because he was such an active person."

The devoted dad was 26 when he died.

While battling his illness, Marc and Cat were married in the Royal Derby Hospital on July 5.

Cat, 28, who had been with Marc for eight years, said: "He hated the way he looked because the steroids he was on for his treatment meant that he put so on much weight, but he had such a huge smile on his face and loved the day.

"Marc was the bravest person I've ever known. He would battle against his disease time and time again, however sick he got and however ill he felt.

"It was so hard for him not being able to do the normal things he wanted to do with Connor after the illness became too much.

"Marc was the sort of person that was full of life.

"On a night out he would be the one doing all the crazy moves on the dance floor, making us all laugh.

"He was my husband and I loved him dearly."

Marc grew up in Mickleover, attending Silverhill Primary School and then John Port School, in Etwall.

He studied to become a motor mechanic at Burton College and landed his first job working for Stratstone Aston Martin, in Sir Frank Whittle Road, where he remained for five years.

Marc then worked as a postman, getting up at 4am to drive to work in Loughborough and Leicester, before returning to Derby, visiting the gym and then spending time with his family and friends.

He developed a desire to join the police force and so enrolled as a special constable, studying at Ripley and then passing out.

Marc was assigned to Pear Tree police station, where he became a valued officer and friend to other specials and regulars.

Marc first went to this GP to see if he could explain what was happening to him after losing strength in his left leg. He was sent for scans and tests at the Royal Derby Hospital and then the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Mandy, 53, who works as a secretary at the Royal Derby, said: "His leg kept giving way, he had nerve tests and then went for an MRI scan but no-one could find out what was wrong.

"We were first told they were 99.9% sure that nothing serious was wrong but on September 21 last year we were told something was entangled in his spine.

"It could have been just an inflammation but on November 13 we were told it was an aggressive tumour.

"It was just so hard to come to terms with. Marc was young and fit, we couldn't understand why it was him.

"But in typical Marc-style he started to battle it and fight it every step of the way. That was the sort of person he was."

Radiotherapy and chemotherapy followed, as did operations and Marc spent weeks in and out of hospitals in Derby and Nottingham.

The family home had to be adapted as Marc became more ill and weak with the rare astrocytoma tumour

Cat had to stop working as a teaching assistant to help care for Marc and bring up Connor.

She said: "There were times when Marc was so sick. He had fits and we would find ourselves back in hospital. But he carried on fighting back."

Marc was sent to the Macmillan Cancer unit where he and Cat married with only three days' planning.

"We had champagne and balloons in the day care unit. That was lovely, " Cat said.

"Marc idolised Connor, spoiling him rotten and letting him do whatever he wanted. He was so devoted.

"And Connor, despite being so young, took it all so well, even though he hated seeing his dad so ill."

Mandy said immediately following Marc's death there was a mixture of emotions.

She said: "There is some relief knowing that Marc is at peace, but there is also this numbness and emptiness that he is not here any more."

[TeeferTiger]

Bless him Thoughts go out to his family x

[justdeno]

RIP , always the good ones die young.

[NWpostie]

Quite a sad story, as said before the good die young, thoughts to his family.