A grieving young husband has paid an emotional tribute to his late wife on what would have been their first wedding anniversary.
UK man Jake Coates met his childhood sweetheart Emmy Collett when he they were both 11 years old and the pair got married in September 2016.
Before they tied the knot, they received some devastating news when Ms Collett was diagnosed with thyroid cancer at the age of 30.
She had no idea how long she had to live and tragically died in June aged 31 and Mr Coates has posted a heartfelt tribute to his wife one year on from their wedding day.
Mr Coates said he "couldn't sleep" because of his excitement the night before their big day and added he "misses her more than ever".
He posted online: "This time a year ago I couldn't sleep. I was way too excited that I was going to get to marry this girl, the love of my life, in the morning.
"There wasn't a day that went by when we were together that I didn't pinch myself - why someone like you would choose someone like me.
"But I'll forever be grateful that you did. We made the best team. Miss you more than ever my gorgeous girl. Xxxxx."
The couple - childhood sweethearts who drifted apart for university - were overjoyed when they got back together in 2015, despite Mr Coates working as a doctor in Sydney and Ms Collett as a teacher in London.
They used to speak to each other on FaceTime every day and travelled back and forth across the world to maintain their relationship.
But within six months of them getting back together, the couple received the devastating news weeks after a holiday to the Philippines.
"There wasn't a day that went by when we were together that I didn't pinch myself - why someone like you would choose someone like me," Jake wrote of his late wife. Photo / Facebook
Ms Collett, from Luckington, Wiltshire, who had been plagued with symptoms such as diarrhoea, tiredness and enlarged lymph nodes, was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer.
He immediately flew back to the UK to be by her side and proposed just weeks later.
Just as the pair were due to go on holiday, Emmy was told cancer had already spread to her spine, lungs, liver and bones - and she could never give birth.
She was taken to the Royal Marsden Hospital and was told she could have made a full recovery if the disease had been diagnosed earlier.
Writing on her blog, she had said: "It was explained to us that my longstanding bowel problems were due to the extremely high level of the hormone, calcitonin, secreted from the cancer cells.
"I was needing to empty my bowel every 15 minutes day and night which was having a severe impact on my quality of life including extreme fatigue, a fissured and blistered anus, weight loss and erratic menstruation."
A JustGiving page set up in her memory and to raise funds for the for the Royal Marsden Cancer Charity has raised more than £138,000.
Emmy was diagnosed with a rare type of cancer. Photo / Facebook
The couple also went on a 2,000km tandem bike ride from London to Copenhagen, via Bruges and Amsterdam, along the North Sea Cycle Route, raising money for The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity.
Ms Collett spoke to MailOnline last year and said: "My 'school girl crush' on Jake started almost 20 years ago when we were just 11 years old.
"We quickly became 'childhood sweethearts' and at 13 he told me that I was 'his lobster'.
"When we were 16 we finally sought the courage to fully admit our feelings for each other and we dated for three years.
"Although at university we went our separate ways, we remained close, but it took until October last year, after 10 long years, to rekindle our romance."
Mr Coates confirmed the heartbreaking news on his Facebook page in June.
He wrote: "I feel utterly lost and empty without her. I can't look to the passenger seat whilst driving the car without the deepest ache spreading across my chest.
