Tragic widow's 'give blood' plea

Their wedding was the happiest day of their lives, but just four months later Leigh Finch was left mourning the tragic death of her loving husband.

Richard Finch died aged just 28 from leukaemia after a two-year battle against the disease. Leigh, aged 27, says she is still in shock as she recalls the day he died – but is determined that something positive can come from the experience.

She said: "It was early on Wednesday, September 10 that Richard was struggling to breathe and couldn't talk.

"He asked for a book and a pen and he wrote 'Can I go now?' and 'I love you all' – we lost him at 10.15am that day.

"The funeral was on September 25 at the church we got married in and he wanted The Cure's song Treasure playing on the day.

"People kept saying they wanted to do something and I said that they could become blood donors as Richard wouldn't have survived a month without blood donations."

Leigh set up a facebook site called Give Rich a Pint which has seen 488 people sign up to donating blood.

"I decided that I wanted to do something positive after Richard's death," says Leigh.

"He was such a kind, loving, positive person and we know leukaemia sufferers that still need blood donations."

The couple met on the internet in 2000 and became close very quickly.

Leigh, of Moore Road in Willenhall, says: "We met for the first time at Wolverhampton train station, as Rich was originally from Suffolk. Our first date was in Telford and we ended up walking around the town park where we both got totally drenched – but we got on really well."

The couple had a long distance relationship while Leigh did a teaching course at Manchester University and Richard was working as a computer store manager at RAF Lakenheath.

The couple eventually decided to live together in Manchester and in 2004 Leigh saw a job advertised at Thomas Telford School.

"I jumped at the chance to move back home and we lived for a while in Oxley before getting our present house in Willenhall," says Leigh

"Richard got a job at 3663 in Cannock, which is a food service, and throughout his illness they have been amazing and incredibly supportive.

"On St Patrick's Day in March 2006 he came home from work, told me to close my eyes and when I opened them he was kneeling in front of me holding a ring – I was thrilled to be engaged."

However, it was just a few months after their engagement that Richard starting feeling very tired and suffered from headaches and toothache.

He was worried people would make fun of him for being so unfit, but his condition got progressively worse until he was taken to New Cross Hospital as an emergency patient before being transferred to the haematology ward.

"When I went in to see him he was smiling and said 'I have some good news and some bad news'," says Leigh.

"He said 'the good news is that I know what is wrong with me – the bad news is that it is Leukaemia'."

Richard went through five courses of chemotherapy and in July last year he had a bone marrow transplant and seemed to become better.

"We had decided to get married on August 8, 2008 as the date was 8/8/08 but in May he was told his leukemia had come back very aggressively," says Leigh.

"We decided to bring the date of the wedding forward and so got married on May 29 this year at St John's Church in Essington – our reception was at The Roman Way Hotel in Cannock.

"The day before the wedding Richard was topped up with blood platelets to ensure he was well for the wedding.

"He was well throughout the whole day and danced until 3am – it was wonderful to see him having such a good time and he said it was the best day of his life."

* For more information on donating blood log on to www.blood.co.uk or call 08457 711711.