by Mary Graham

One of the three-year-old twins of a woman who battled cancer has the same faulty gene that caused her death.

Nikki Phelps, 37, died on May 11, just days after NHS bosses relented and said they would fund £3,000 a month life-extending drugs.

Nikki and her husband Bill's battle to get Sunitinib tablets generated national headlines, as the drug would have prolonged her life, long enough, she believed, to see her boys grow up.

Now Mr Phelps, who runs a cattery and lives in Luddesdown, said one of them has the faulty gene that led to Nikki's rare multiple endocrine neoplasis.

He said: "We always knew there was a 50 per cent chance of each of them having the faulty gene.

"In effect, we got the nil-nil draw, this is not a brilliant result, but we will have to deal with it.

"The only person who knows which son is affected is my brother and that is because if I die, or something happens to me, my brother will know where all the paperwork is.

"I am not even telling my mother. It is unlikely to have any real effect on my son for the foreseeable future, so why would I want to identify him as the ill one?

"I just want him to enjoy his childhood and not be branded as 'the sick child'.

Mr Phelps said his son was under the care of a paediatric endocrine consultant and would have regular tests to establish the progress of the gene.

He added even if the gene did develop into cancer, it might not happen until his son reaches his 20s.

"We are introducing his appointments early - a bit like you would with the dentist- so he gets used to seeing specialists and not just when any major treatment is needed," Mr Phelps added.

He also revealed Nikki's legacy is continuing to help cancer sufferers.

Some money from Nikki's fund-raising is still in the account and Mr Phelps would like to hear from anyone in Gravesham who might be battling cancer and needs money for treatment of equipment.

He revealed the fund had paid for life-extending drugs for a woman in Bearsted, near Maidstone, who had been denied them on the NHS, but she had recently died.

Mr Phelps added: "I think one of the most shocking things about the NHS is that election pledges were made that if your consultant said you needed life-extending drugs, you got them, without going through a lengthy process, but this doesn't seem to be happening.

"The drugs allowed Nikki to have a holiday shortly before she died.

"It may have been a short extension to her life, but it was quality time that we were able to enjoy.

"That said, with the exception of funding this drug me and Nikki know that the NHS did everything they could."

Mr Phelps also paid tribute to the Gravesend mother and baby group, who rallied to the cause, raising thousands for Nikki's battle through fund-raising, including a sponsored 19-mile walk.

He added: "I did the walk again this year and it was a much different experience, as last year there was the immediate pressure of Nikki's situation.

"This year would have been our 10 wedding anniversary. May 11 will be hard, and I don't want to sound flippant, but it probably won't seem that hard as every day without her is hard.

"I have rounded up her clothes, but haven't yet been able to throw them out.

"But her legacy does live on. We hope to help other sufferers with treatment or even the little things, like we loan out her old wheelchair, if people need it."