IT took almost six months for a dad-of-four to find out he is terminally ill with a rare form of incurable cancer.

The life of a close-knit family of six was turned upside down when Darren Wing and his wife of 18 years Kelly were told he has less than three months to live.

Last August the 53-year old, who worked as an air-conditioning engineer, found several lumps on his body that worried him, so he made an appointment with his GP.

But it took months for overworked doctors to schedule check-ups, refer him to a consultants and appoint a biopsy, so it was not until January that Mr Wing was finally told that he has a very rare form of aggressive cancer called Neuroendocrine carcinoma (NET) with a prognosis of 12 to 18 months.

During the two rounds of chemotherapy his condition worsened and he was so poorly he had to be admitted to the hospital, but the family remained hopeful.

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In May Mr Wing had a scan, which showed the tumours had reduced and the consultant was happy to wait 12 weeks until his next scan.

However, within a week his mobility declined and he was in a lot of pain.

He then underwent another scan, which showed two new, large tumours in his pelvis.

At the beginning of this month Mr Wing had another appointment with the consultant – he was told he can either undergo an intense round of chemotherapy, which could give him one to six months, or stop treatment with a prognosis of three months.

After the devastating diagnosis that turned the close-knit family’s lives upside down in a day, Mr and Mrs Wing decided to stop the cancer treatment and focus on making as many joyous memories as possible with their four children Sophie,16, Jake, 13, Jessie, nine, and Joshua, two.

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Residents of the Oxfordshire village of Great Milton, where they live, were touched and saddened by the unexpected news, so have been fundraising to help the couple financially.

A Go Fund Me page set up by a family friend and neighbour Laura Putt that had a target of £1,000 has now raised more than £12,000.

Mrs Wing, who works as a bookkeeper from home, said she and the rest of her family are all 'overwhelmed' by people's generosity.

The 40-year-old added: "It has been so difficult for us all – we had so many plans, including a couple's trip for me and Darren to Crete.

"Then his diagnosis came and then the pandemic, so we have had to cancel a lot of things.

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"We are trying to enjoy the little things and do as much as possible together as a family in the time he has left."

Alongside visits to Blenheim Palace and the Fairytale Farm in Chipping Norton over the last week, the Wings have also planned a trip to Devon where they have holidayed before.

During the coronavirus lockdown kind-hearted villagers have also been dropping off meals daily to their home to 'lighten the load'.

To help the Wings make memories visit gofundme.com/f/helping-the-wings-to-make-memories