Influencer Lorna Luxe has revealed she finally went ahead with a charity auction in honour of her late husband, John Andrews, following his death from cancer last month. The businessman, who was 21 years Lorna's senior, battled stage four adrenal cancer after being diagnosed in April 2023.
Lorna announced his passing on February 12. The couple had been married for 16 years. She returned to her main Instagram grid for the first time since his death on Tuesday, sharing clips from the charity auction she had been planning to do with him.
The event was initially cancelled when John became too ill, and he passed away shortly after. It ultimately raised money for Maggie's cancer charity and The Meath Epilepsy Charity.
Emotional Tribute on Social Media
Her post began with a sweet clip of her with John, as she said: 'I've got a camera roll full of little moments like this and I'm going to treasure them all...'. The caption read: 'He's gone and yet he is everywhere.'
'So last Saturday in honour of John we finally got around to hosting the charity sale that we'd been promising. He'd been so determined for me to follow it through,' Lorna explained.
She then shared videos of herself getting ready to go to the event in Manchester. Lorna told how when she feels lonely she often finds comfort in coming onto social media and chatting to her followers.
Overwhelming Turnout and Celebration
Speaking of the event, she said she was gobsmacked at the incredible turnout as she filmed the crowds queuing to get into the venue. Lorna said: 'The event felt like more than just a way to raise money for charity, it felt like a chance to celebrate John. He would have absolutely loved this event.'
'So moving forward I am always going to ask myself - 'what would John do?'. She then penned in the caption of the post: 'What would John do? We raised a ton of cash for two charities close to our heart this weekend… Oh and I've got to move house.'
Unseen Footage and Memories
Earlier on Tuesday, Lorna shared an unseen video of John, explaining it is bittersweet watching back footage. Lorna admitted she was 'so grateful' to have hours of footage of John, who regularly featured on her social media.
The footage showed John, who co-founded Lorna's brand L.A-Space, gazing adoringly at his wife as she arrived in shot in her dressing gown, ready to shoot one of their regular Instagram updates.
'A camera roll full of outtakes… we never did reshoots we just left the camera running and I'm so grateful we did,' Lorna captioned the sweet video.
John Andrews' Cancer Battle
John was originally diagnosed with a rare form of cancer in 2023, but after a period of remission his cancer returned the following year, spreading to his brain. Lorna was told to 'prepare for the worst', but he was home in time to spend Christmas Day with Luxe, before passing away on February 11.
Their Relationship and Life Together
The influencer met John when she was 25 and in the midst of an eight-year stint as a Virgin Atlantic air hostess, before marrying in New York City and going on to live together in Hove, East Sussex, and later Horsham and Warwickshire.
She previously admitted the couple kept the romance alive in their 16-year marriage by using separate bathrooms at their rural home, telling social media followers: 'I don't know if this is an 'us' thing, but me and John don't share bathrooms. Maybe this is why we've lasted so long. He's not even allowed in my bathroom. Just kidding.'
She added: 'One dynamic in our relationship that has never changed is that he organises everything. I just have to turn up and ideally look cute. He's been treating me like a princess since the day we met. I'm very happy about that. He will always find a way to surprise me, I could write a book on how John gets hotel upgrades.'
