A MUM who created family videos for her young son to watch as he grows up — and wrote cards for his next 17 birthdays — has lost her battle with terminal cancer.

Rowena Darby died, aged 34, surrounded by her family at Bolton Hospice just before the new year.

Her husband Phil Darby paid tribute to his “brilliant, gorgeous and talented” wife who fought rectal cancer for four years and started making keepsakes for her son Freddie in 2013 when she found out the condition was terminal.

The 35-year-old, of Wellington Mews, Edgworth, said: “Rowena always stood out from the crowd. She was brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and fabulous not to mention very intelligent.

"She shone and her presence made other people shine. Being with her taught me so much more about myself than I already knew."

Mrs Darby’s courageous fight against the disease was first reported in The Bolton News in August 2013 when she revealed she was making memories for her son Freddie, now aged four-and-a-half, so he could remember her.

When she disocvered her diagnosis was terminal, the mum-of-one started collecting memories for Freddie by arranging holidays and making videos and taking photos, as well as making birthday and Christmas cards to last him until he turns 21.

The former actuary, originally from Caton, Lancaster, died on Monday, December 29, after being admitted to Bolton Hospice earlier the same month.

Mr Darby said: “We can only hope that the memories created are embedded in Freddie’s mind and that in looking back on pictures and videos and special items Rowena has left for him, he will have some recall of his memories which will demonstrate to him just how much she adored him.

“Being a mother was all she ever wanted from life and to have had that taken away from her was a particularly cruel thing to happen. That’s why she was as determined as she was to be alive as long as she could and to create memories to preserve her legacy for Freddie. She was an amazing mum. I always knew she would be.”

The couple met while studying at university in York before marrying in 2009.

It was in 2010 when Mrs Darby fell pregnant with Freddie that she first started suffering symptoms of rectal cancer, but despite a number of major operations and treatments such as chemotherapy, she vowed to stay positive.

Mr Darby said: “We decided from the very start to be as positive as we could. Inevitably we had our low moments but we considered times spent worrying, anxious and upset to be wasted time, particularly after the terminal diagnosis.

“Upon learning it was terminal, we helped each other. I would pick her up when she was down and she would do likewise. Focusing on Freddie and creating memories for him made her more determined than ever to last as long as she did.

"We’ve done more in the last three years then a lot of people would in a decade. It was Rowena’s drive which pushed that."

Knowing that her health was deteriorating, the family arranged an early last Christmas for Mrs Darby — complete with a visit from Father Christmas.

Mr Darby said: “Rowena had come home from hospital towards the middle of November and as we didn’t know how long she would have, we decided to have a special early Christmas on November 29.

"We decorated the house very early and had a very special day, just like any other family Christmas. Freddie even got a visit from Father Christmas as Turton Rotary Club were helping him turn the Christmas lights on in the village and they stopped by to make our day extra special. It was just how she wanted it to be.

“On Christmas Day itself she was much more unwell in Bolton Hospice but still was able to spend time with all of the family at various points throughout the day and even sat up to eat some fruit and had some cola which is something she hadn’t been able to manage for quite some time.”

Mrs Darby fought her disease by researching alternative treatments and fundraising for Mistletoe Therapy UK, an alternative treatment centre for cancer based in Aberdeen.

Dr Leigh Vallance, chief executive of Bolton Hospice, said: “Rowena was an inspirational woman whose memory and legacy will live on.

"It is a privilege to be able to provide the care and support that helps people to continue to live their life to the full and make plans despite a terminal diagnosis, as Rowena was so determined to do.”

Mrs Darby's funeral service takes place on Friday at Victoria Hall from 1.45pm. Donations are being collected for Mistletoe Therapy and Bolton Hospice.