A FAMILY is raising money for a young girl after her 29-year-old father died of cancer.

Adam Sawyer, who was a steward at Oxford University, died in July this year after being diagnosed with oesophageal cancer.

He is survived by his wife, Vivian, and their two-year-old daughter Ayla who celebrated her birthday only four months before Mr Sawyer passed.

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Now, his family wants to raise money for Ayla so they can give her the ‘best foundation’ to life that Mr Sawyer had wanted.

Angela Unsworth, Domestic Bursar at Oxford University, was Mr Sawyer’s employer and said his passing was ‘absolutely tragic'.

“He was a lovely man,” she said. “He was only 29. We hope that we will be able to support Vivian as she comes to terms with her different future.

“We had a collection at the funeral, which was held at the university, which we said would go to Ayla and we raised a lot of money.

“But at the wake there were a lot of people who said they didn’t bring money and they would like to make a contribution and they suggested we set up a fundraising page.

“Adam had been such a big part of our lives and we’ve been his only employer in his whole life.

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“Adam met Vivian here through work and were colleagues and fell in love and get married a couple of weeks before he died and Ayla was a flower girl.”

Writing on the JustGiving page, Mrs Sawyer said: “Life without Adam is extremely hard in many ways, but it is especially hard for Ayla who does not understand why she can’t see her beloved Daddy anymore.

“Trying to navigate our way through our grief as a family is a daily struggle, as well as trying to manage the logistical matters such as finances.

“With the cost of living dramatically increasing, I’m scared for what the future holds for us, and in particular Ayla.

“Adam wanted to be able to give his daughter the best foundation and experiences in life, but sadly is not here to make that happen.

“This is why we are kindly asking for any help that we can get to support Ayla’s future to ensure that she has the same chances and opportunities as any other child of her age.

“Nothing can ever bring Adam back and fill the void in Ayla’s life, but not having to constantly worry and feel as though I’m failing her would be a huge relief.”

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Anyone who would like to extend their condolences to Mrs Saywer is welcome to reach out through Oxford University.

To donate to the page, visit: gofundme.com/f/t8myp-to-be-updated