Ian Cadman (right) with his nephew Stephen (Picture: Ross Parry)

A dying cancer patient had his final wish granted after a hospice arranged for a monkey to spend his last day with him.

Ian Cadman, who had more than 800 cuddly toy monkeys, was comforted by Millie the two-year-old marmoset during his last hours at Wigan and Leigh Hospice on Tuesday.

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The autistic patient, 58, was supposed to meet the creature during a surprise visit to nearby Knowsley Safari Park.

However due to his declining ill-health, staff couldn’t carry out the plans.


So employees decided to bring the monkey to Ian.

Millie the marmoset with Ian Cadman at Wigan and Leigh Hospice (Picture: Ross Parry)

Ian owned over 800 cuddly replica toys of the tree-swinging creatures (Picture: Ross Parry)

He sadly died surrounded by his family just a few hours after the visit.



Mr Cadman’s twin sister Karen Lund said: ‘To know he’s had a real monkey there with him, meant so much to us.

‘Since he was tiny Ian loved monkeys and always had a monkey of some sort.

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‘Ian had a favourite monkey called Jacko and another called Monkey and had over 800 fluffy monkeys in his flat.’

Mr Cadman, of Wigan, had been diagnosed with cancer of the colon five weeks before he died on Tuesday at 11pm.

Paying tribute, Ian’s niece Jacinta Edgar, 35, said: ‘Ian was absolutely fabulous and was so much fun.

‘He has over 800 toy monkeys and pictures of monkeys on his wall at his home. He loved monkeys and was bonkers for them.

‘He also sponsored a monkey at Monkey World in Dorset – he couldn’t get enough of it and was just monkey mad.’

Pharmacy manager Jacinta said: ‘The Jacko toy was almost 50 years old and disintegrated but we still have the remains – so we ended up getting Ian a new one.

‘He had to have the monkeys with him in bed or he couldn’t get to sleep.’