Louise Blyth met her husband, George, in 2006. They fell in love and were married in 2011. Their first son was born in 2013 and a second son in 2015. When their second son was 8 months old, they received the devastating news that George had bowel cancer. The moment the diagnosis was confirmed was an incredible shock for George and Louise and they experienced fear, dread and panic.

George was fit and healthy so he and Louise were optimistic that, with treatment, he could be cured. But then a scan revealed that the cancer had spread to his liver. A course of chemotherapy, followed by radiotherapy, obliterated the tumour in his bowel but left small residual tumours in his liver. Throughout the treatment George was incredibly positive and never thought he wouldn’t get better. Six weeks after a liver resection he rode his bike from London to Paris. Just eight weeks later, at the age of 34, George died.

Louise has written, “George’s death was beautiful. The process of his passing dramatically altered our perceptions of the world we live in. George and I began to look at human existence from a very different perspective, a much more spiritual perspective. This was something that was completely new to us both! A series of miraculous events led to me having an unfaltering belief in Jesus.”

Louise had received a text from a friend who had met a woman who felt she should pray for someone who was seriously ill. The woman visited George in hospital and prayed with him. Louise said, “I thought this was really nice and wanted to believe it was real. Then George put his hand out and asked the woman to come and sit closer to him and there was just this feeling in the room of peace and light, and I didn’t want it to end.” The next day Louise found George lying on his bed with the sun coming into the room. It was seven days before he died, and he was really sick, but he was lying on his bed with his arms out and told her all the pain he’d been feeling had gone.

Louise said, “After this we had a beautiful time before his death. He had five days in hospital where he laid and basked in the Holy Spirit and the hospital room was filled with such perfect peace and hope it was unbelievable.” In the midst of their unspeakable sadness both George and Louise found hope in Jesus. Louise has told their story in her book “Hope is coming – a true story of grief and gratitude.”