A devoted mother-of-three, who lost her battle with cancer this month, has left strict instructions with her husband on how to bring up their children.

Gemma Hogg, 31, from Sutton, discovered she was terminally ill in January this year.

In the Sutton Guardian last week we reported that Mrs Hogg discharged herself from her hospice the day before she died to walk her son to his first day at school.

Her husband has now revealed that she also left a manual for him to ensure their three children are brought up the way she intended.

Simon Hogg, 41, said: “Gemma told me, one by one, exactly how they should be brought up and I will follow it down to the smallest detail.

“Doing as she says will be like having her here with us.”

The instructions left by Mrs Hogg included giving the children healthy school lunch boxes, not shouting at them and not buying them cheap shoes.

Mr Hogg was also asked to get in touch with his feminine side for the sake of their six-year-old daughter Isabelle. Mrs Hogg pleaded with him to brush Isabelle's hair and learn to tie it in a pony tail for school.

Mrs Hogg had also been preparing her three children - two-year-old James, four-year-old Thomas and Isabelle. She created memory boxes and had cushions made with her photo and the words “For when you want to cuddle me.”

She has also written birthday cards for them until their 21st birthdays.

Mr Hogg said: “I told the children Mummy was in heaven but would always have an arm around them.

“And I'll always have her instructions to guide me.”

The family are now raising money for St Catherine's Hospice in Crawley where Mrs Hogg was being cared for. To make a donation visit justgiving.com/gemmas-journey.