FRIENDS and family will gather today for the funeral of a York man who lost his lifelong battle with cystic fibrosis.

The parents of 31-year-old Richard Henshaw, who died earlier this month, said their son always strove to gain as much independence in life as possible, despite the debilitating condition.

Richard, of Clifton, regularly appeared in the pages of The Press when he was ten, after a charity fund was set up to raise £4,000 to send him on a once-in-a-lifetime-trip to Disneyland.

His mother, Hazel, said of the trip: “It was very difficult because he had to be in wheelchair and it was very hot, but it was the time of his life – he got to see everything.”

As an adult, his condition meant Richard required regular treatment and long stays in hospital; however he eventually managed to move to his own flat and was married twice, the second time to a former school friend in 2005.

Though the pair eventually separated, Richard’s mother said they had remained friends.

While often finding himself isolated from friends in his early years due to his condition, Richard’s parents said the internet and social networking sites had brought him many new friends.

His mother said: “He had a lot of friends on the internet and Facebook.

“I know he had people he would speak to as far away as China and Canada.

“His brother received a lot of messages of condolence from people we didn’t even know Richard knew.”

Remembering her son in the final years of his life, Mrs Henshaw said: “He never spoke about his illness – he never complained.

“He would tell a joke and make people laugh.

“If he was sitting next to you, you would never know how ill he was – he would never let on.

“We love him,” she said. “He’s going to be missed.”

Richard’s parents thanked all the staff of Ward 34 at York Hospital and asked for any donations to be made there.

Richard’s funeral will take place at 10.30am today at York Crematorium in Bishopthorpe Road.