WHEN cancer took hold of mum Debbie Swift for a second time she knew she’d have a fight on her hands.

Having already beaten breast cancer in 2015, being diagnosed with stage 5 tumour in her stomach was a devastating blow.

Determined to have - in her words - “a last roll of the dice” she contacted the medical professionals who featured on the BBC2 series “Surgeons: At The Edge of Life” after seeing them operate on a 71-year-old woman with a similar condition at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, in Birmingham.

Tragically for Debbie, from Failsworth, she was told the complex nature of the tumour’s growth made surgery impossible.

But instead of being crushed by the terminal diagnosis, Debbie decided to throw a farewell bash for her family and friends at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice where staff were only too pleased to oblige.

They worked with Debbie’s husband, Dean, and daughter, Lanie, to arrange the “All About Deb” party in their family room, giving her an amazing send-off.

With food, drink, balloons, music and lots and lots of memories, former work colleagues and loved ones made sure it was an emotional farewell to treasure and she enjoyed a special pamper day and family photo session with Studio G photographer Lisa Marie Gee.

Sadly Debbie, aged 57, died just days later on March 3.

At the party Debbie paid tribute to Dean, a former firefighter, and Lanie, a jet-setting model. She referred to her husband as “St Dean”, praising his “immense bravery” and thanking him for 34 wonderful years together, the last seven as man and wife. She said Lanie was the light of her life and one of her regrets along her cancer journey was the decision to keep the seriousness of her illness a secret from her until the final weeks.

Debbie said: “I wanted her to live her life - to fly the world - and if I had told her that months ago I was fearful she would not want to leave here.

“I realised once Lanie was told that that had been a mistake. Lanie was angry that she did not know earlier and have more time to do things together and when she finally found out it was like a massive weight of pressure had been lifted from me.

“I would advise anyone in my situation to talk to all their loved ones and not keep anything secret.”

Debbie, who worked for 21 years at software company CDL, in Stockport, spoke of her great affection for Dr Kershaw’s, describing it as “seven-star treatment by caring nurses who are the pride of Oldham.”

Debbie’s funeral is tomorrow (Friday), at 3pm, at Blackley Crematorium.