A Dartford 34-year-old has died from a rare cancer after chronicling his experience in a hugely popular blog.

Nicky Boardman’s Too Upbeat for Cancer website received more than 12,000 hits in four days after he passed away on March 8 at EllenorLions Hospice in Coldharbour Road, Northfleet.

What started as a seemingly silly Facebook post in 2012 ("I appear to have a miniature brass band trapped inside my bottom") transpired as something much more serious.

News Shopper:

The following year the father-of-one collapsed near the Apple store in Bluewater where he was senior manager and the problem turned out to be appendix cancer.

Nicky faced a gruelling 10-hour operation where surgeons removed a two-foot long, 6kg tumour "tangled round a number of organs" which he named 'Clarkson' - it is believed to have been there for five years.

The charity supported Mr Boardman with in-house care, emotional and psychological support, and financial advice since he got ill.

They have also supported his wife Kerrie, a GP, and their four-year-old son Ethan – including letting the youngster assign toys for members of his family for when they felt sad or lonely.

In a statement released by the hospice following his death, he said: “People don’t like talking about death or their own mortality. But what do you do when someone tells you at the age of 32 that your time could be up soon?

News Shopper:

“When I was diagnosed with a rare abdominal cancer that affects only one in a million people, the first thing I thought about was my wife and son - the two most important people in my life. “

Kerry told News Shopper: "I’m so lucky I got to spend so many years with him."

"His legacy lives on in Ethan - who is wonderful."

 Nicky and Kerry were stunned by the popularity of his blog.

She said: "He was so pleased when medics said they’d use his posts as training material.

"Lots of people laughed and cried at the same time when they read it. 

News Shopper:

"Nicky wanted to encourage people to give blood, because he received blood transfusions, and let people know you’re never too young to get cancer."

Kerrie remains grateful for EllenorLions Hospice's support. 

She said: "It struck me, when the nurses came in to check his condition in the night, how they’d take their shoes off so as not to disturb him.

"They provided amazing care."

Visit ellenorlions.org or tooupbeatforcancer.com