real life
A heartbreaking diagnosis left Lianne Dempster, 33, with just 24 hours to plan her big day
Sitting in the police car, my stomach should have been in knots. But the man in the driving seat had put me instantly at ease. It was September 2017, and my first day as a constable. As a new recruit, I’d been paired with a more experienced officer to respond to 999 calls. Mark Dempster, who had been with the force for over 20 years, was a perfect crime-fighting partner. Not only was he great at showing me the ropes, but he was funny and friendly – the best tonic for my new job jitters.
From car crashes to domestic assaults, we were called out to some harrowing incidents. Going through that together, we formed a connection. And during the long night shifts, Mark and I opened up to one another. I found myself counting down the hours until our next shift together.
Living at home with my parents, the spring my colleague had put in my step hadn’t gone unnoticed. “I’d like to meet this Mark,” my mum Janice said. “You always smile when you talk about him.” I realised I was developing feelings for Mark. But I was 27, while he was 51. Would the 24- year age gap stop anything romantic from happening?
Still, our bond grew, and we started seeing each other outside work. Too shy to make a move, I longed for Mark to make one. And finally, after a takeaway at his one night, he leaned over and kissed me. “You took your time!” I said with a smile. By now, I’d known him seven months. From then on, we were a couple. And although some were initially shocked by how much older Mark was, any worries subsided when they saw us together. “He’s a great guy,” my dad David said after their first meeting. “And it’s clear he makes you very happy.”
In time, I moved into his house in Barrow-in-Furness, and life was good. Mark was a car fanatic, so I’d often cheer him on as he competed in rally races. Only then came an unexpected blow. Mark suffered with Crohn’s, but a routine check-up discovered cancerous cells in his bowel. He’d had no symptoms and it knocked us for six. After an operation to remove the cancer, he endured gruelling chemotherapy. But Mark amazed me with his positivity, refusing to dwell and continuing to live life to the full.
In June 2021, Mark whisked me away to York for my 31st birthday. He’d already given me a present and booked a lovely hotel for us, but he was being cagey about my card. “I’ll give it to you at dinner tonight,” he told me. Later, halfway through our meal, Mark finally gave me the envelope. Inside the card read, “Happy Birthday to my fiancée!” I was about to say he’d picked up the wrong one, when I saw him push a ring box towards me. It was such a
