Son’s 30th birthday gift from mum... after she died

HUGS Kevin Donnan with mum Carol A DEVOTED mum arranged for a box of presents to be delivered to her son for his 30th birthday – 10 days after she died.

Carol Donnan, 55, died just 29 days after she was diagnosed with stage-four stomach cancer. But predicting she wouldn’t live to see her son Kevin’s 30th birthday, she wrapped up a box of his favourite things.

She arranged for them to be delivered to him and student Kevin said it was typical of his mum, to put others before herself.

Kevin, from Belfast, said: “I wasn’t even thinking about my birthday. It never even entered my head. I was still mourning. There was my favourite aftershave, boxers, socks and some of our favourite photos. “Sentimental things I can keep for ever. “I found it mind blowing. Mum was dying but was still thinking of other people.

“I was elated that she was still thinking of me all that time. I felt huge warmth and sadness at the same time.”

And it didn’t stop there, he added: “She wanted everyone to be happy at her wake and she wanted us to have a disco.”

After her terminal diagnosis, Carol also bought and wrote a year’s supply of birthday cards to send to relatives.

Care assistant Carol, from Belfast, went to her GP after experiencing a loss of appetite. She was referred to Belfast’s Mater Hospital for a CT scan which revealed she had stomach cancer, in March last year.

A few days before Carol died on April 5 last year, she planned her own funeral, sorted her finances, and Kevin’s present.

Since Carol’s death, her family has raised more than £2,000 for Marie Curie, whose nurses looked after her until the end.