The best friend of hospital groom Ryan 'Felix' Glenny has vowed to continue fundraising in his memory.

The 23-year-old died on Saturday just weeks after marrying the mother of his two children, Cola Weller, in an emotional ceremony at Medway Maritime after Mr Glenny was told his bowel cancer was incurable.

When the father-of-two, of High Street, Lower Stoke, was first diagnosed, friend Ashley Clark set up a fund to help Cola and their two children Ralph, two, and 11-week-old Pearl.

Among those who donated was X Factor judge and cancer survivor Sharon Osbourne, who gave £10,000.

The total now stands at more than £59,000 and money has continued to pour in following Felix's death.

Mr Clark, from Strood, said: "When I first met Felix at the hospital before he even knew he was terminal his only worry was money and supporting his family through what he thought was going to be his recovery.

"So I set the fund up. I always hoped that it would escalate around the world, but did I actually expect it? No, probably not, to be honest.

"The money means they can be comfortable and they don't have to worry about things like rent and struggling with bills, things that Cola and Felix struggled with when they were together."

Looking ahead, he wants to raise more money in Felix's memory to fund research into the type of cancer that killed his friend and register the fund as a charity.

Mr Clark added: "What he had is genetic and now his children and other members of his family have got to get tested.

"As far as I can see there's no direct funding for what he had towards helping research."

Felix's mother died of bowel cancer three years ago aged 41 and his grandfather died of the disease last year.

Despite his family medical history, Mrs Glenny said Felix's concerns were ignored by doctors.

After weeks of suffering stomach pains and being told it was an infection, he was admitted to hospital and given an emergency scan, which revealed a massive tumour in his bowel.

On his son's second birthday, doctors told Felix there was nothing more they could do.

He spent Christmas and New Year in hospital, but Mr Clark said despite everything he would still have a smile on his face.

He added: "He was still him, we still had jokes amongst the pain. Words can't describe the type of man Felix was. Everywhere he went, he just cheered the atmosphere up.

"He was such a fun-loving, genuine person. He's touched that many people that he won't be forgotten, even without a charity page.

"It would be nice for something for his kids to realise that he touched so many people and now, even after, he's making such a positive outcome on the world."

You can donate to the campaign at www.gofundme.com/59nuts.