HE was the ‘superman’ daddy who did not stop smiling despite facing the most devastating battle imaginable.

Jamie Tanner was diagnosed with a rare and incurable cancer just months after he proposed to the love of his life Emma but thanks to generous strangers he was able to fulfil his dying wish of marrying her.

Devastatingly he died just weeks later aged 36 leaving behind his two children Amara, 11 and Lana, six.

But this Father’s Day, his family are defiant that his strength and positivity will be honoured. Emma has bravely spoken of the heartache of losing her soul mate and her determination to help others.

Emma, 32, who will tomorrow mark Father’s Day together with the girls at Jamie’s favourite beach in Sandbanks, said: “Jamie was our superman because he was so strong throughout. He was a devoted family man, always working to build our home. We were always put first.

"He has left a massive hole in our lives yet has given us such warmth and strength too. Each night when I tuck the girls up in bed we say goodnight to Jamie because there isn't a moment we don't think of him.

"He was the perfect mixture of strong yet still a gentle giant.

“It’s been a very traumatic time for our family and my aim now is to show our two daughters that we can turn this into a positive and try to help as many people as we can with what we know.

“Jamie is proof that we may not be able to control every situation and its outcome but we can control how we deal with it.

“Tomorrow we will each write a note and roll them together to put into our message bottle then throw it out to sea at the place where we shared so many happy memories. It will be about celebrating everything Jamie has given us."

Emma told how ‘life couldn’t have been better’ after meeting Jamie 11 years ago when she was a single mum to Amara and the pair began a whirlwind romance with a first date at the theatre followed by a ride on the London Eye.

The couple moved in together within a year, had a daughter together in July 2010 and two years later bought their first house together.

Jamie proposed to Emma unexpectedly on the Rialto Bridge in Venice during a trip for her 30th birthday after she had a cancer scare.

Emma said: “He was extremely romantic and protective of me. He was energetic, into fitness and healthy eating. He was a grit-your-teeth and get on with it kind of guy. His girls would absolutely melt him.

"Jamie would get down to play with dolls houses and do princess fancy dress. He would let the girls do his hair and he would learn to do theirs. They would even put make up on him and paint his nails.

"He took my breath away.

“We decided at once to marry in 2017 in Lake Garda, Italy.

"We were having the time of her lives.”

Tragedy struck in July 2015 when Jamie was told he had cancer and was later diagnosed with the rare and incurable small cell carcinoma.

“The words ripped our hearts out," explained Emma.

“He had two tumours which obstructed all organs in his stomach, and the cancer also spread to his liver and lungs.

“It was horrific.

"We had just found out I was pregnant.

"Sadly, I later lost our baby."

Determined to remain positive, Jamie had one dying wish - to ensure nothing would stop him marrying the woman of his dreams.

Thanks to the charity Wedding Wishing Well Foundation and donations from kind-hearted members of the public following an appeal in the Daily Echo, that dream was made possible.

They married at Sopley Mill surrounded by their closest family and friends on May 15 last year on Emma's birthday - exactly one year after Jamie's proposal.

Emma explained: “There was more heartache though. Two days before the wedding Jamie’s amazingly stunning mum Sharon passed away from the same cancer. It had returned and they had both battled it together. It was a very tough time. Jamie decided to release balloons in the same colours as his mum's outfit at the wedding and that was a very special moment because it felt like she was still with us.

“My favourite moment was when Jamie and I were being photographed. The photographer wanted natural shots so he took us away and just asked us to talk, cuddle and kiss. Now looking back at the photos, knowing what Jamie had whispered in my ear at that moment is a very happy memory.

"On our wedding day Jamie looked so extremely handsome but he was very poorly. The previous day he endured a five hour blood transfusion.

"That was Jamie though. Throughout, he never stopped smiling and joking. He was still the life and soul and had us all laughing."

Despite his deteriorating health, Jamie remained strong for his family – with the builder remarkably even putting up new radiators and completing work in the family home a week before he died.

On July 4, just weeks after the wedding Jamie passed away at the couple’s home where he was nursed by his wife, who is a co-ordinator of a domiciliary care company.

Despite her immense grief, Emma was adamant to keep her promise to Jamie of living life to the full and continuing to provide strength for their family.

She took part in a charity plane pull for the Wessex Cancer Trust, completed a 37 mile bike ride and even leapt from a plane for a skydive two days after what would have been his 37th birthday to raise money for the Poole Hospital Sandbanks ward and the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation.

“I wanted to feel closer to my superman so I decided to fly alongside. That's why I took on the skydive," she explained.

“I knew I needed to keep busy and still honour my husband and support the girls.

“Doing things for him still, helps get us through. Everything we do is still for him. We still want to make him proud.

"It's the little things you miss. It is waking up next to someone, making someone breakfast, even cleaning, doing someone's washing, getting those butterflies when you are looking forward to someone coming home after work. It is having someone tell you they love you, or that you look pretty today. You just don't realise until you haven't got it anymore.

"My friends ask how I am coping but I have two beautiful girls and I can't not be positive. Jamie has told me he wants me to go on and to be happy.

"I actually did find true love and some people are still looking for it. I feel very appreciative and lucky for that and the memories we shared."

Today Emma has been named an ambassador for the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation and is planning a special wedding themed charity dinner at the Kings Arms Hotel in Christchurch to raise money for the charity.

“This amazing charity not only got us married, they gave us a day to look forward to in between the darkness. It was a day off from thinking of the inevitable.

“Those wedding memories saved me and the girls. A terminal illness takes the person away from you but luckily we managed to see him again on my wedding day. It gave me something to focus on and I've got something to look back on too.

"It saved me and I think it saved Jamie too. He was so peaceful and calm and he said that was because he did everything he had to do here - he had two children and he got to marry me. He will always be our superhero."

Emma said tickets are still available for her dinner and disco on July 22 and has called on any businesses who can offer auction prizes.

For more information about the Wedding Wishing Well Foundation go to weddingwishingwell.org.uk/

To contact Emma about donating an auction prize or attending the event email emmatanner06@btinternet.com