AFTER being told he had weeks to live, Jack Kane begged nurses to lift him out of his wheelchair so that he could take to one knee to propose to his partner.

The Billingham man married Emma Clarke in a moving ceremony at Middlesbrough’s James Cook University Hospital just eight days later.

Their hastily arranged reception brought with it a welcome surprise that would stun loved ones and leave their guests overjoyed.

In an emotional speech that will be remembered for years to come, Mr Kane broke the news to family and friends that he was not terminally ill after all.

The revelation was the culmination of a whirlwind few months for the 23-year-old, who had been told he was dying after doctors found what they suspected to be a cancerous tumour on his spine.

During his moving speech, Mr Kane told wedding guests that he instead probably had a rare neurological condition called neuromyelitis optica, also known as Devic’s disease.

He received the tentative diagnosis after his health rapidly deteriorated and he became unable to walk, suffering from intense back pain, pins and needles and hypersensitivity in his legs.

After visiting the hospital and doctors several times – where he was given a number of diagnoses, from a trapped nerve to mental illness – he woke up one morning to find he could not move at all and was admitted to JCUH.

Following tests and scans which indicated a tumour on the spine, Mr Kane was given the devastating news that he had just weeks to live.

Describing the moment he decided to propose to his partner, he said: “I was always going to marry her – we’ve known each other for nearly ten years and have been together for the last three. From the day I first met her I knew I wanted to be with her.

“So I got my mum to get the ring and the nurses put me down on one knee to propose. We were married eight days later - why waste any time?”

With family and friends in full swing trying to sort out a wedding, Mr Kane was preparing himself for a spinal biopsy, involving surgery, when – on the day of the procedure – a scan found that the tumour was shrinking, with further tests leading medics to suspect his condition was NMO, though clinicians are still working on a definite diagnosis.

Mr Kane married the love of his life on Monday, October 23, with his bride being walked down the hospital corridor by her father and four-year-old daughter Lola.

After a few hours’ rest, the happy couple met loved ones at their reception at Billingham Synthonia Club, where they broke the good news to their guests.

Mrs Kane, 23, said the pair were overwhelmed the support they had received, adding: “The love, support and strength we’ve received from family, friends and people who just heard we were getting married has been absolutely overwhelming.

“We really can’t thank everyone enough who have been there for us and also helped to make our day so amazing.”

She added: “No-one asks to be in this position - what we’ve gone through these last few weeks people don’t go through in a life time – but we stay strong for each other.

“If Jack’s having a bad day I’ll pick him up and if I’m down, he’s there for me – we’re best friends.”

Mr Kane is currently receiving further treatment in hospital but remains optimistic about the future.

He said: “My legs may never come back but there are people worse off than me. I won’t be beaten by something I can’t see.

“The staff on ward 27 have also been truly amazing right from the beginning – if you’ve a question to ask or if you just need someone there to put a hand on your shoulder, they are there for you. We class them as family.”