JUST three days after being admitted to hospital with stomach pains, 24-year-old Peter Fearn was planning his own funeral.

The promising young journalist had been told that nothing could stop the aggressive cancer from ravaging his body and he had just days to live.

His father Trevor was at his son's bedside when doctors delivered the devastating prognosis.

He watched as Peter listened calmly before bravely talking about arrangements for his funeral and giving his parents a list of people to call after his death.

Four weeks earlier, Peter did not have a care in the world.

He had just finished university and was about to embark on a career as a journalist when he started suffering with diarrhoea.

His symptoms gradually worsened but it was nearly a month before doctors were finally able to diagnose an aggressive form of bowel cancer rarely seen in young people. Three days after being told about his condition, Peter died.

"At the moment we are just in a total state of shock," said Peter's mother Gillian, a musician and former primary school teacher.

"We just can't believe it happened to him so young."

Former Ecclesbourne School pupil Peter studied English at Southampton University.

He graduated with a 2:1 in June 2007 before starting a newspaper journalism course at Nottingham Trent University, which he finished in June.

During his training, Peter wrote several articles for the Derby Evening Telegraph and Nottingham Post while on work experience.

He worked as a content writer for Associated Northcliffe Digital, a sister company of the Evening Telegraph, and was about to start looking for a job as a reporter.

Trevor said: "Peter wanted us to call the Evening Telegraph for them to do a story. This article will be the last one in his portfolio."

It was Sunday, September 14 that Peter, a keen footballer and Derby County season ticket holder, started suffering with diarrhoea.

The symptoms persisted so Peter's parents encouraged him to visit the doctor, which he did a week later.

He was told he might have an inflamed gall bladder and was prescribed antibiotics.

However, his symptoms seemed to be getting worse, so on Monday, September 29, Peter went back to the doctors.

They carried out urine tests and told him he could possibly have hepatitis or pancreatitis.

He had blood tests the next day and was told the results would be back within a week.

"Never once was cancer suspected," said Trevor, a professional opera singer.

"That is not to criticise the doctors at all. No-one would expect cancer in someone so young."

Peter called his GP on October 3 for his results and was told he did not have hepatitis or pancreatitis and doctors arranged for an ultrasound scan. But his condition deteriorated that night.

He went to Derby City General Hospital where doctors ran a series of tests.

Peter and his family were told that the results were inconclusive but that the scans had found he had enlarged liver and a thickening of bowel wall.

He then had a scan and on Monday, October 6, Peter and his parents were told that his kidneys had reacted badly to the contrast, a liquid swallowed by patients so doctors can see organs during the scan.

They were also told that their son had an aggressive malignant tumour in his bowel, which had spread to his liver.

Doctors said that if they could give Peter chemotherapy, he would have had between two weeks and six months to live, but without chemotherapy he would have just two weeks.

Tragically, because of the reaction to the contrast, Peter's kidneys started to fail and doctors could not give him the chemotherapy..

Trevor said: "He just lay there and asked if he could come home.

"The doctor said 'I would advise you Peter if there is anybody you would like to see then get them to come in the next couple of days'.

"Can you imagine your lad's face when he is told that?"

Peter's parents organised for his grandparents and sister Joanna Dutton, 27, to visit and his best friend from Southampton University, Emma Vernon, made the trip up from High Wycombe to see him.

"He started talking about his funeral and we thought how can he be like that?" said Trevor.

"He was just so incredibly brave."

Peter died before he could return to his home in Wirksworth Road, in Cowers Lane, between Belper and Duffield.

It was Thursday, October 9 when his parents got a call from the hospital at 4am.

"We got there just as he was taking his last breaths," said Trevor. "It all just happened so fast."

Peter attended Duffield Meadows Primary School and then Ecclesbourne School, where he was a house captain.

Gillian and Trevor said they had taken some comfort in the many messages that had been left on Peter's Facebook page.

"Everyone has said what they remember was his cheerful smile," said Trevor.

"He was very kind and compassionate.

Elaine Pritchard, from the Evening Telegraph's sister company AND, said: "We all remember Peter fondly as a talented writer who always gave 100% to any task and he was also an incredibly likeable and positive person to be around."