A GRIEVING York widow whose husband died in her arms from cancer has revealed how she too was diagnosed with the illness, only weeks after their dream wedding.

John and Linda Holmes brought the happiest day of their lives forward eight months when the groom-to-be was diagnosed with terminal bowel cancer soon after he proposed.

The Huntington couple tied the knot last August at the Merchant Adventurers’ Hall in York, but sadly, 59-year-old John died on May 4 as heartbroken Linda cradled him in her arms and “begged him not to leave me”.

Now care worker Linda has revealed she too was diagnosed with cancer shortly after the wedding. She is now in remission, but says the success of her own fight is “bittersweet” as she tries to come to terms with losing the love of her life.

John and Linda had originally planned to marry this April, the sixth anniversary of their first meeting, before John’s illness led to them deciding to begin married life as soon as possible.

“We knew John’s death was going to happen, but while you can prepare yourself for something like this, you can never quite be ready,” said Linda.

“The doctors were surprised John lived as long as he had. He had been quite ill for a while and went into St Leonard’s Hospice on April 17, when they said he would probably only have two days to live.

“I told them that, while I didn’t mean any disrespect, there was no way I was accepting that. I got him back home and became his carer but with a lot of help.”

Reliving the day John died, Linda said: “I was holding him in my arms, and when he looked at me, his eyes looked heavy.

“He just stopped and stared at me and I knew the time had come. I cried and cried and begged him not to leave me, but then he looked at me and died. I could feel his last breath on me.

“It just gives me comfort to know he died in my arms, the way he would have wanted to go.”

In a cruel twist of fate, Linda was struck by bowel cancer only a month after her wedding. She said: “Luckily, I am now in remission and about to receive my last dose of chemotherapy, but the feeling is bittersweet, because it’s not fair that I should have survived cancer and John didn’t.

“John was an amazing person. He was a bit of a deep man, but so affectionate and loving towards me, and he looked after me as I looked after him. He had so many friends and I expect the church will be packed at his funeral.”

John’s funeral will be held on Monday, at the Church of All Saints, Pavement, in York. He also leaves children John, Sarah and Joe and step-children Ashley, Shelley and Bill.