MIRACLE triplets Jarvis, Joel and Leila share a loving hug with their proud daddy.

For Dan Lewis, each cuddle is precious because it is something simple he never dreamed he would enjoy but more tragically, he knows each one is numbered.

Aged 29, his world fell apart when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour so aggressive, it forced him to face the fact he may not survive to ever experience fatherhood.

Undergoing painful procedures, gruelling treatment and suffering depression, at times Dan wished the cancer would claim his life.

But Dan says where there is love, there is miracles and at 1.32pm on 13 May 2011, he beat the odds to welcome three lives into the world.

Four years on, still battling cancer and fearing he will not see his children grow up, he believes life is a gift and has written a book detailing his story and how the triplets should live their lives if he loses his cancer battle.

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Dan's 10 heart-wrenching ‘daddy demands’ outline basic principles he wants his two sons and daughter to follow after his death on how to live a good and happy life such as to respect their mother, to not worry about money and to look after their bodies.

He makes it clear the boys should look after their little sister and fend off any bad boyfriends if he isn't around to do so and for Leila in return to bang the boys' heads together and make sure they always make up after a fight.

He also asks they all be 'respectful and welcoming' if one day their mum meets someone new because 'it is part of life to move on.'

Other instructions are heartbreakingly simple.

He tells them to never forget they are triplets - 'a rare bond', and that they should never let anyone tell them that something cannot be done but to 'laugh, smile and be nice to people' and simply to be strong.

Dan concludes: "Never forget that I love you and will love you beyond my dying day. If I am wrong and there is a heaven, I will be looking down on you a very proud daddy."

Dan, 38, says being a father has helped get him through his toughest days when effects of his brain tumour include side effects from strong medication, epileptic fits, dizziness, lack of balance, and spasms.

He said: "Three of the brightest stars in the sky shone down on us on the day the triplets arrived safely. I look at them and see three miracles.

"It was meant to be. My life was on a knife edge but it became clear this was why I was here.

“To be a dad, life was a privilege, there was a light, and dying, or self pity, was not an option anymore.

“They need a dad, a strong dad, and have taught me the difference between living and existing.

"I look at them daily and think ‘wow’.

"Sarah and I laugh lots every single day at the things they do. I hope it lasts forever. But if things do take a turn for the worst, I want to continue to be a good dad to them even if I’m not here.

“That’s why I wrote my story for them and a list of dos and don'ts from the heart that I might never be able to tell them in person."

Dan, a former Bitterne Park School pupil and football fan, got the shock cancer diagnosis in 2006 just months after he suffered a sudden seizure on the way back from the video shop with his partner Sarah Wicks.

An MRI scan revealed he had a tumour - an Astrocytoma.

"I used to get a lot of headaches and had a few problems on the phone but I just put it down to drinking too much.

"When I saw the scan, I recall going into a weird dazed state. My stomach dropped as low as it could possibly go.

"Basically life just stopped.

"There and then it was suddenly possible I might not even make 30. I wouldn't see any more of the world, experience all the things I always imagined would come my way, would never be a dad. I thought I was going to die."

Doctors performed an eight-hour craniotomy in a bid to remove the tumour, an operation carried out whilst the patient is still awake but five per cent of the aggressive cancer could not be removed safely.

Shortly after, Dan suffered a brain haemorrhage in hospital and had to undergo further emergency surgery.

But it was the radiotherapy Dan had to undergo at one point every weekday, that was the biggest struggle.

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He explained: "It was okay at first and I was breezing through it but I got weaker and weaker and I lost my hair.

"Once it all fell out, my head was bright red and very sore, very cracked. I looked a state and became very self conscious."

Dan, who lives in West End and works part time for Eastleigh Borough Council, confided in two close friends Ellie and Dan he met because they too were battling brain cancer.

However, tragically they both died. Ellie's funeral was on her 33rd birthday and Dan was 35 when he lost his fight.

Dan, explained: "Losing them made me think about death.

"There wasn't anyone else at the time who I spoke to apart from those two. There was noone else I had a connection with yet those were the two who died. It was a very tough period.

He said: "I sunk into a black hole and became very depressed. I thought about my own funeral and envisioned who would cry and who wouldn't show up. What songs would be played, who'd carry the coffin.

'My feelings were so intense, they didn't make sense.'

However, where there was death, there was also life. Sarah became pregnant - with triplets.

Daily Echo: Scan showing it was triplets!

"I remember my mouth being wide open you could literally throw a tennis ball in it, I wouldn't have noticed. I was in a trance.

"Sarah has been amazing. She's got an inner strength, which has got me through. If it wasn't for Sarah and the triplets, I don't know where I would be now.

"Before they were born it was horrific to think I wouldn't see them turn one and it did affect us that I wouldn't be able to see these things but as they progressed, and I am still here, all these landmarks, I just push for each one and as they come, I become happier.

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"They are the sunshine and I wouldn't change it for anything.

"They have kept me alive."

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Daily Echo: Dan Lewis with his partner Sarah and their triplet children Jarvis, Joel and Leila.

Today Dan, who has MRI scans every six months, says he appreciates how precious life is and never takes anything for granted.

"In a strange way having a brain tumour was one of the best things to have happened to me.

"I am a better person now and I never take anything for granted," says Dan who loves to write and has written a comedy sitcom he would love to see on TV.

"I ask myself where I would be if I hadn't got the brain tumour.

"I doubt even the people closest to me would have thought I'd be in this moment. I feel very proud to have this book.

"I'm rich. Not in financial terms but I have a happy and healthy family, food on the table and a cosy home.

"Our kitchen is small and we haven't got much of a garden but does that really matter? Of course not.

"Look at what we have got: my three beautiful children are my everything and when I think about them all of the negative stuff dissolves into dust.

"It does feel like an axe is over me never really knowing what results the scans will bring.

"Death is just a heartbeat away but you have to stay positive and enjoy life.

"I watch them playing and take silly amounts of footage. It's not just for the archives but I want them to know I witnessed certain moments in their childhood.

"They'll forever know I was watching and laughing with them from the violent shaking of the camera I'm holding.

"Fate got me here and I wouldn't change it for the world.

"This is life and life is good. Every day above ground is a great day.

"I'm a different person now. I'm a dad now and always will be.

"How lucky am I?"

*Dan's book, a moving account of his battle with cancer, called Brain Tumours for Dummys is available to buy now on Amazon.

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Dan's 10 'daddy demands' for finding happiness

1. Always respect your mum. She's the only one you have and never forget what she has done for you. Help her in any way you can. She needs you as much as you need her.

2. Money isn't everything. If you have it, great, but do not spend your life worrying about it and forget to enjoy the things that you have.

3. Life is precious. Learn from my mistakes by looking after yourself. Your body is the only one you have. Look after it.

4. Boys: Take care of your little sister. If I’m not around to do so, it’s down to you to fend off bad boyfriends!

5. You will fight. In fact you already do. But remember to make up afterwards. Resentment is ugly. Look after each other. You boys will probably be the worst so Leila, if Mummy isn't nearby it'll be down to you to bang their heads together. Talk to each other and resolve all your disagreements, always.

6. Life moves on. If your mum one day meets someone new, it may be hard for you but be respectful and welcoming. It is human nature and a part of life to move on. There is no point in her or any of you being unhappy.

7. Remember you are triplets and that makes you special no matter what anyone says. You have a rare bond that can never be taken from you. Use it to your advantage.

8. Never let anybody tell you something can’t be done. It's amazing what is possible if you set your minds to it. Laugh, smile and be nice to people. Not only will it make your lives more fulfilling but you’ll be surprised how much further it gets you.

9. Be strong. Never bully and never allow yourself to be bullied. Both will hold you back. A man once said ‘if you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything’. Remember those words.

10. Never forget that I love you and will love you beyond my dying day. If I am wrong and there is a heaven, I will be looking down on you a very proud daddy.