DADDY’S girl Hayley Savory gave herself less than four weeks to prepare for her wedding after her father was diagnosed with terminal cancer.

The mum-of-four’s dad, Gary Savory, 53, was diagnosed with stomach cancer in September, and on Saturday was moved into Prospect Hospice in Wroughton.

When his health first started to deteriorate a few weeks ago Hayley and her fiance of seven years, Will Tsang, decided now was the time to tie the knot.

The 29-year-old said: “Like most little girls I always wanted my Dad to give me away at my wedding.

“I have been with my partner now for a few years and we always thought we would get married and that we would do it later, but really we don’t know if there will be a later. “

I am very close to my Dad. My parents split up when I was about six, and they remarried when I was about 17, so I didn’t really grow up with my Dad.

“I’m really close to him because it feels like I have just got him back and he’s being taken away from me again.”

When Hayley decided to set the date for early January, she only planned for a simple civil service since there was so little time to get everything organised.

“Two weeks ago I just decided we would do it, so I booked the registry office and I private messaged my friend, Louise Morecombe, about a wedding dress she was selling.

“I didn’t care about a big wedding or a big party, I just wanted to get married and for my Dad to be there.”

Louise and her husband Mark then posted a message on Facebook about Hayley and her wish to get married so her Dad could give her away, and before long hundreds of people had come forward to offer their support and help.

She said: “Originally it was going to be a surprise and I was going to tell my Dad the night before. “But Louise put on Facebook my whole story and said she really wanted me to have the party and the big wedding.

“I had over 200 people messaging me with all sorts of help with the wedding and I even had a minister ring me up and he said that he wanted us to get married in a church and that he would marry us.”

As well as the dress and the church, Hayley has been offered the use of a venue, on Monday, January 6, a cake, suit hire from Jensons of Gorse Hill, and the catering for free.

Hayley said: “I am just so overwhelmed. I didn’t think that there were so many kind people in Swindon.

“At first I was a little bit scared and I didn’t want to put pressure on my Dad. “

When he began to get worse I did tell him, hoping that it would give him a bit of strength.

“I just want to say a big thank you to everyone that has helped me.”

To view the Facebook group which helped Hayley or to find out how you can help, visit www.facebook.com/groups/141979439238904/ permalink/419382284831950