A father-of-two left a special gift for his children that they got months after he passed away.
Eric Findlay was diagnosed with bowel cancer when he was 36. He found out he had just a few weeks to live.
Three months after being diagnosed with bowel cancer, Eric passed away. But, he left a special surprise gift for his wife, Maureen, and their two children – seven-year-old Leo and five-year-old Havana.
Before passing away, Eric expressed his desire to leave a special surprise gift for his children to his wife, Maureen.
Maureen told The Mirror: “When we knew that his diagnosis was terminal we talked about the children and things that we could do to make things a little better for them and help them with their grieving…which included getting a pet.”
After Eric’s death, Maureen started searching for pets online and found two cats named Betty and Ethel who were waiting for a forever home.
Maureen collected the cats on what would have been her husband’s 37th birthday.
After picking her children from school, Maureen told them that their dad left a surprise gift for them.
She told them their dad loves them and wants them to be happy and introduced the cats to the children.
Maureen said: “When I introduced them to the cats they were very surprised, shocked. They couldn’t believe it.”
The children absolutely loved the surprise and Betty and Ethel are now an important part of their family.
Maureen said Eric used to work from home so their house went empty after his death but the house is now full again after Betty and Ethel’s arrival.
Talking about the cats, Maureen said: “Their personalities are very different. Ethel is more sociable. She loves to be in the mix and doesn’t mind if the kids pick her up.”
“She tends to follow us around more and is always at the door when we come home. Betty is quieter and more timid. She also loves to chill out with us but is more adventurous when she goes out.”
The cats have taught all of them to smile again. Maureen says she knows Eric would have been happy to know his children are smiling again.
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