22/08/2026
Ive been struggling to type this out, hours and hours and deleted it over and over again but here goes.
Yesterday, 21st August, at 4.55pm, the miracle i was hoping for never came, my Mum, Ann, the absolute rock of our whole family, took her last breaths and passed away. Aged just 59 years old.
Anybody who was lucky enough to know my Mum will understand what a truly special person she was. I know the phrase 'would do anything for anybody' gets used so often.. but I truly mean this about my mum, she did far far too much for others at times, and she was honestly hand on heart, the most kind hearted and generous person id ever known. And I mean that. Nobody has ever come close.
She had me at just 16 years of age. She insisted on moving out of her mums to bring me up alone in a small flat. It was just me and her for 9 or so years, her being both my Mum and Dad in one.
I cannot put into words what she did for me in my life, always right through to the day before she died, saying to me as she was struggling to talk, that she had steaks in the freezer for me. Asking me behind her oxygen mask was i ok for money
She followed me in my rugby coaching whichever team or representative side I was coaching she always came. She said to me just two hours before she passed, struggling for breath again behind her oxygen mask, 'were coming to your rugby romorrow'.
The photo i have on this post is of me and her when i was getting an award at an awards dinner at Wigan Warriors.
She told me every week how proud of me she was about my rugby, and I never really showed her i appreciated her until now, and im beyond devastated for that.
She was my sister Rebekkas best friend. Her, my Mum and my Mums Mum, my Nan, going out together always as recent as just over a week ago.
My Nan, my heart goes out to her and I will now promise for as long as she has left with us, to always be there for her. No parent should ever have to lose their child.
All of her Grand children, she was absolutely besotted with them all. She could never ever do enough for them. Buying ridiculous amounts of things for them daily, taking them on days out, holidays, everything you could ever think of. She went above and beyond any parent or grand parent ive ever witnessed before.
Her two brothers John and Bert, who she loved so much and I know looked after her when she was so young and I was born.
She leaves her Husband Terence, my step dad, who made her his wife, and looks after us all as if we were his own blood.
I still remember my Mum and I talking in the kitchen before she was going on a night out to Goose Green labour club, and i actually literally remember asking her to find me a Dad, and she said she will try. And she eventually did.
She has broken something inside of me that i know I will never ever be able to fix.
She has left a hole in all of our hearts and I know this is only the start of the heartbreak.
I love you Mum, always and forever and truly appreciate everything you ever did for me.
From all of us... you rest easy now Mum, no more struggling, and I hope you understood just how much we all loved and appreciated you.
Goodnight to you Ann, my MUM, the absolute Love of my life, forever and always
Your SON Peter x❤️
