A woman has spoken of her heartbreak after she went from being a bride to a widow in just three weeks.
Lianne Dempster, 32, met Mark, 55, in September 2017 while they were both on-duty police officers.
The pair became close friends and bonded over their shared love of cars while providing support to each each other on shift, and their connection eventually turned romantic in April 2018.
But one year later, the couple were given a devastating blow when Mark was diagnosed with bowel cancer after being treated for Crohn's disease.
He underwent months of gruelling chemotherapy, and the couple celebrated when he got the all-clear on New Year's Eve 2021.
Excited to start the next chapter of their life together, Mark proposed later the same year while celebrating Lianne's birthday in York - but further turmoil would come in May 2022 when he came home from the gym unable to catch his breath.
He went to hospital in June, where doctors discovered his bowel cancer had returned - and gave him the heartbreaking news he had just days to live.
The couple tied the knot on Ward 9 at Furness General Hospital the very next day after the diagnosis in a last-minute ceremony organised by hospital staff.
Despite the short time window available, everyone on the ward went "well above their job description" for the newlyweds and even let them use their rings for their "dream wedding".
Remembering their special day, Lianne said: "It was unbelievable. It was all set for June 17 and organised within a day – it was phenomenal.
"People gave me their wedding dresses to try on and a nurse came in on her day off to do my hair. A florist donated a bouquet of flowers.
"There was a registrar there to get us married – it was amazing and the fact that the staff managed to arrange everything so quickly was incredible.
"They were like our family.
Mark died on July 7, 2022, with his wife by his side at home.
His funeral took place on July 18, and Lianne said it was "horrendous" going from planning a wedding to planning her husband's funeral just three weeks later.
She said: "It's not the life I planned, I know there was an age gap, and I would be on my own at a certain point, but it wasn't supposed to be this early.
"We were supposed to have 20 to 30 years together.
She remembers Mark as "strong person" and "brilliant dad" to his daughter, Sophie, who was from a previous relationship.
"He was my best friend. Some people never find that in a person, and I was lucky enough that I did.
“We only got to be married for three weeks but it was perfect. Getting to marry him meant everything.
"Now to have his second name and carry that part of him forward, it’s as if he’s carrying on.
Determined to keep his memory alive, Lianne plans to run 1,000 miles throughout 2023 - and says she is "on target" to complete her goal after already completing 450 miles in the six months since Mark's passing.
She said: “It’s really helping my fitness and my grief.
“The running has really helped me since losing Mark, it’s a bit of thinking time.
"While I am out running, I am able to lose myself for a while and I feel better once I have done a run.
"The weeks will be varied but I think if I try and stick to 20 miles a week I should be on target.”
