A retired greengrocer has died after muscle pain turned out to be a sign of a fatal illness.
Steve Adams’ grieving family issued a heartbreaking tribute to the much-loved 61-year-old from the Welsh town of Abergavenny.
He died on Wednesday, October 18, after getting a diagnosis of lung cancer, in January.
He was misdiagnosed with general muscle aches months before he received his cancer diagnosis.
By the time he was finally diagnosed with cancer, he was told it was terminal.
Mr Adams first went to see a doctor in September last year, complaining of pain in his right shoulder, and back, and general fatigue.
His daughter Tiffany Adams told Wales Online that her father was initially “told to rest, but he went back after Christmas saying the pain hadn’t improved”.
In January, a CT scan at a local hospital revealed a small tumour on his collarbone as well as a large tumour in his right lung which was a stage four tumour and “had gone around his ribs and back”.
He was treated with ten rounds of strong radiotherapy, but by July he was told that the cancer had spread to his liver and there was nothing more they could do.
Ms Adams said: “He’s fought really hard, especially the last couple of months, but he hasn’t been out of bed much and he became very ill for the last couple of weeks.
“I do think about what would have happened if his cancer was caught earlier. It has played on my mind and it’s something I want to look into – whether it could have been caught sooner.
“But I’ve been dad’s main carer for the last nine months and I didn’t have the energy or time to put anything into that while dad was alive.”
Paying tribute to her father, Ms Adams said that he enjoyed being with his family and friends, and enjoyed going down to the pub for a drink.
She added: “My eldest daughter lost her father in 2016 and dad put so much effort into being there for her and taking on that fatherly role. She was his little princess. And I was a daddy’s girl too.
“I feel lost, broken and numb to say the least. He was a big gentle giant and the most caring and kind man you could meet. His needs were always put behind that of his kids and his grandkids.”
Mr Adams was “well-known” in the small Welsh community, which has seen an outpouring of love towards the 61-year-old’s family.
Ms Adams revealed: “We knew he was really popular with the shop and because he used to do wreaths at Christmas, he became well-known in Abergavenny, but the messages we’ve had have really shown us how loved he was.
“It didn’t surprise me how popular he became. He was a genuine, down-to-earth man who was a really funny and lovely guy who always had a smile on his face.
“The messages we’ve received from so many people about Dad gives me comfort knowing how well-known he was and how everyone loved him. It has brought comfort to us all at a really hard time.”
Mr Adam’s family is asking the local community for donations for cancer research instead of gifts or flowers at his funeral, which will take place in early November.