Mum writes greetings cards for young son until he turns 25, before she dies of cancer

Brave Nicola Broomhead wrote the cards to her nine-year-old son Alfie to give him ‘as many memories as possible’ before she died in the arms of partner Lee Davis in June.

Mr Davis said: “I cannot imagine what it must be like to be 34-years-old, sitting at home and doing that – then walking your son home from school and still be upbeat.”

“I just don’t know how she managed to get through it,” the 41-year-old mechanic added. “She was amazing. Alfie really was her world.”

Nicola’s cancer was first spotted when she visited the optician after her eyes felt strained and tired.

“What she thought was going to be a routine visit, maybe ending up with reading glasses, turned out to be devastating,” said Mr Davis.

Doctors diagnosed Nicola with ocular melanoma — a rare eye cancer.

Nicola was given proton therapy in Merseyside, but was warned the procedure would damage her optic nerve, causing sight loss.

She had surgery to realign her damaged eye, then attended the Royal Hallamshire Hospital in Sheffield for six-monthly check-ups.

Formerly a secretary, she even took a job as a carer as she began to recover.

“She’s been through a rough time and we finally thought we’d turned a corner,” Mr Davis said.

“We were even talking about marriage and having other children.”

But last summer doctors gave the family news they dreaded to hear — the cancer had returned.

An ultrasound scan found an abnormality, and a CT scan showed Nicola’s liver was ‘peppered’ with cancer.

“She was devastated,” Mr Davis said.

“But we decided we weren’t going to lie to Alfie, so she told him straight away.

“Then she wrote him birthday, Christmas and Valentine’s cards until he is 25.

Nicola received chemotherapy and immunotherapy at Weston Park Hospital and visited St Luke’s Hospice, both in Sheffield, weekly.

She died at home in June, with Mr Davis by her side.

“She was where she wanted to be,” Mr Davis said. “I was holding her hand and stroking her hair.”

Plans are now being made for a memorial bench in Grenoside Woods, near Sheffield, at one of her favourite spots.

And Alfie is making good progress at his primary school.

Mr Davis will compete in the Great Yorkshire Run in Sheffield on September 28, followed by the Huddersfield Hilly Half Marathon, the Scarborough 10K and the Sheffield TenTenTen 10K all in aid of St Luke’s.

Visit www.justgiving.com/LeeDavis9 to sponsor him.