Laura Clack, Surrey

My dad, Gary David Jones, died from bowel cancer in December 2021.

My dad was a father of two and a loving husband to my mum, Mary. For over 30 years he was working hard as bus driver, winning the London Bus Driver of the Year Award in 2011. He was an avid amateur plane photographer, loved computers, technology, going to the cinema and F1 racing.

He didn’t have any of the classic symptoms of bowel cancer. He had itchy skin for years before his diagnosis and often had to sleep upright due to acid reflux.

One evening in the summer of 2020 he went to A&E with a bowel obstruction, he ended up having surgery that evening and woke up with a colostomy bag. He was then told he had stage 4 bowel cancer. It was such a shock to us all, especially as it was terminal.

After the surgery he had chemotherapy, which I honestly thought was working, but tragically he died just five days after he turned 61 years old.

My dad was the greatest and the bravest man I will ever know. He was so kind and he would do anything for his family and friends. He hardly complained despite all the pain he was experiencing. He should be enjoying his retirement after working so incredibly hard for so long.

My message is to be brave, and if something doesn’t seem right keep pushing for further tests. I wish we knew that itchy skin can be a symptom of cancer. He’ll never be forgotten.