A "larger than life" dad of five and grandad of twelve died weeks after a shock diagnosis.
Steve Dornan, 70, sought medical help due to vomiting, rapid weight loss and blood in his urine.
He was diagnosed with kidney cancer, which turned out to be terminal, and he died six days before the birth of his grandson Dean's fourth child.
READ MORE: Woman's warning after taking dog out for morning beach run
Dean Mannion, 30, felt "panic and sadness" as he cried all the way home from work in Bootle after receiving a call from his mum to say grandad Steve was dying.
He told the ECHO : "I thought it'd be okay. I was shocked. I didn't think it would be that bad.
"I mean, I knew he was ill. I knew it likely was cancer. It was highly likely it was cancer.
"But I didn't expect to get a phone call to say he's dying."
Dean, from Netherley, was in the room, watching, as his grandad died.
In Steve's final days, Dean would shave his face, feeling "massive pressure" to keep his grandad's iconic handlebar moustache intact.
Now Dean is growing out his own handlebar moustache for 'Movember' to raise money for Cancer Research UK.
He told the ECHO : "We had a really close relationship, so when he died, and being there when he died, it was really hard.
"It hit me hard, and still does now and again, to be honest."
Dean added: "My grandad was from Shrewsbury, and we used to go every year. He'd take me all around the town centre.
"We had our own pub, the King's Head, in Shrewsbury, where we'd go every time.
"And we had a little route out of the train station, up the high street, back down the river bank on the River Severn to the bus station, and then we'd jump the bus to the match and go and watch Shrewsbury Town play, and then back into Shrewsbury, have a couple more beers and a meal, then back home.
"When I was a kid, he came to all my matches. My dad worked nights. He never, ever missed. My dad worked nights, you see, so my grandad always went everywhere with me.
"I'm a massive, massive Liverpool fan, and I get that from my dad and my grandad.
"My grandad would sit for hours talking to me about all the old Liverpool teams, about Jimmy Case, about Toshack and Keegan and Rush.
"Then when we got older, he'd come over every Sunday and we'd watch footie together."
Dean used to sit on the couch with his dad on one side and grandad Steve on the other.
Now there is a gap where his grandad used to sit.
Speaking of watching a Liverpool FC versus Manchester United match last week, Dean told the ECHO: "I looked over at the couch and there was a gap in between where I'd usually sit and where my grandad sat.
"I just sat there and I was watching the telly and was thinking, he should be here watching it."
Dean still feels raw from his grandfather's death.
His moustache is an effort to honour Steve, but Dean only wishes his handlebars could be as glorious.
Dean told the ECHO : "The one good thing about this moustache is that it's actually a conversation starter. I've noticed over the past few days how many conversations it's started.
"I'm a teacher, and a lot of my learners have asked me outright, 'Why are you growing that moustache?', and I'm more than happy to tell them."
Dean is raising money for Cancer Research UK by growing a handlebar moustache in honour of his grandad Steve.
Just as important for Dean is to raise awareness of cancer and its symptoms so others can avoid the fat of his grandfather.
He told the ECHO : "My grandad got really unlucky and got the really aggressive form of cancer.
"One thing that happens with cancer is that there are so many different types of it that anyone could be the unlucky one and get that really aggressive form.
"However, if they're aware of the symptoms, they might be able to stop it at the source, and stop it before it becomes that aggressive."
