Tim Tellett-Davies died on Christmas Eve

Tim Tellett-Davies was told a donor was found in June, but the �90,000 operation was not approved until October because he was deemed too ill.

Health Commission Wales (HCW) changed its mind over the funding issue after criticism by Mr Tellett-Davies' family.

A HCW spokesman said it could not comment on individual patients.

Mr Tellett-Davies, who died on Christmas Eve, had been undergoing treatment at Christie Hospital in Manchester, where doctors had been ready for several weeks to give him the bone marrow transplant.

But the cost of the operation had to be approved by HCW because although he was being treated in an English hospital, he was a Welsh resident.

I cannot be sure, but my feelings are that it would have prolonged his life Valerie Tellett-Davies

At first it refused the funding, saying that he did not meet the criteria.

Mr Tellett-Davies claimed in September the operation would have been paid for if he had lived in England.

He said that despite being in remission "several times" over the previous months, HCW had refused to fund the transplant because it considered him too high risk.

At about the same time Health Minister Edwina Hart announced a review of HCW, which had been at the centre of rows over funding medicines.

His widow Valerie said the reversal of HCW's decision had initially given them hope.

'Sporting chance'

"We were so happy to be able to get to this point and we looked back and thought how hard we had fought for it," she said.

"It was looking good but sadly the amount of chemotherapy he had literally did not eradicate enough of it.

"He should have had this treatment around June.

"I cannot be sure, but my feelings are that it would have prolonged his life definitely.

"It should have been available for him and had it done so then he would still be here. He would have had much more of a sporting chance.

"The valuable time that I had to spend to bring on this fight I should have spent with Tim."

Mr Tellett-Davies, a father-of-two who used to be an engineer with Flintshire Council, was diagnosed with leukaemia in March.

He was initially treated at Wrexham Maelor Hospital but was transferred to the Christie Hospital, which specialises in cancer care.

His funeral will be at St Mary's Church in Mold next Tuesday.

Mrs Tellett-Davies said she hoped it would be a celebration of the life of a man she described as kind, big-hearted, humorous and consistently uncomplaining throughout his gruelling treatment.