Father tells of family's grief after losing toddler daughter to brain cancer

Rob Evans said 21-month-old Adeline captured the hearts of many during her life

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  Adeline with her mother Katie. All photos: Rob Evans

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  Her father Rob Evans worked in Dubai for more than four years before returning to the UK to devote his time to Adeline.

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  The family received devastating news after a scan revealed a tumour had regrown and spread to other areas of Adeline's brain.

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  Adeline's family have been overwhelmed by the support they have received.

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  Adeline had the brain tumour diagnosed when she was only 3 months old.

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  Adeline touched the hearts of thousands of people.

A father has told of his family’s devastation after losing his baby daughter to brain cancer.

Rob Evans, 49, spoke about the most difficult day of his life after his 21-month-old daughter Adeline failed to wake up on Thursday.

The child was given two months to live in February after tests revealed that her tumour had regrown and spread to other parts of her brain.

Adeline had the condition diagnosed when she was only three months old. The family were living in Dubai at the time.

They moved to the UK for treatment, where Adeline underwent operations and two rounds of chemotherapy, the second of which appeared to be working initially.

Adeline with her dad, Rob. Photo: Rob Evans

Mr Evans, who updated the Brits in Dubai Facebook page regularly with details of Adeline's condition, shared a post on Thursday that informed the group of her death.

The post has attracted 2,700 reactions and almost 590 comments so far.

“Thursday was the most difficult day in my life so far,” he wrote on his personal page.

“I was woken by my wife and listened to her calling our daughter's name. I could hear the desperation in her voice, begging Adeline to respond, but she did not.

"The realisation that she had left us started to sink in. The next few hours were just so intense, trying to comprehend and process what was actually happening, trying to accept that Adeline had gone.”

He said Adeline had touched the hearts of many people.

“I have been sharing our journey in several Facebook groups in Dubai as well as our own profiles and she has received over 4,200 reactions, and over 1,200 comments on her passing, and that is still rising,” he wrote.

“The fact that so many people have taken the time to react, comment, message or pay personal tributes to her even though they never met her is just incredible.

While living in Dubai, Adeline's family were told that she had a brain tumour. They later took her to the UK for treatment.

“We are, and always will be so proud of what she achieved in her short life. She may be gone, but she will never be forgotten and has left a legacy.”

Mr Evans continued to maintain part of his employment in the UAE after Adeline's diagnosis, going between Dubai and the UK for some time.

But he relocated permanently back to Britain in late February to spend as much time as he could with his daughter.