“I think there is a big misconception that people think melanoma is something old leather handbag people get because of how you are in the sun constantly and that is not always the case,” he told the Daily Mirror. “It can be a genetic thing as well.”

He added: “If there is anything you notice on your body, even if it sounds trivial, just talk to someone about it and get checked because going through what we went through, especially in those last weight weeks, watching him waste away, literally not be able to walk, going into a wheelchair and be bedbound, and because the tumour was in his brain as well, it affected his behaviour.”

Despite the physical toll, Rhys’ spirit remained fierce. He spent his final days surrounded by family and found comfort in a heartfelt Zoom call with his soccer idol, Manchester City star Jack Grealish. The player’s gesture, a signed shirt and a personal message, lifted Rhys’ spirits in his most painful moments. Just before he passed, Rhys watched the video of that interaction one last time, a flicker of joy in an otherwise devastating goodbye.