A mum who died of a rare cancer will have her dissection broadcast on Channel 4 tonight in a television first.

Toni Crews from Deal was just 30 when she lost a four-year battle with the disease that started in her tear duct.

The beloved mum of two died after her adenocarcinoma returned for a third time in August 2020.

Tragically, the outbreak of coronavirus meant she was unable to access a clinical trial to treat her chemotherapy-resistant disease.

Following her death, the young mum became the first person in the UK to donate her body for public display.

Now, Channel 4 will air documentary My Dead Body to tell the story of her illness before and after her death.

The programme is hoped to educate people about the "one in a million" cancer that took her life.

Featuring home video footage and interviews with her family, it will be narrated by Toni herself using "cutting-edge" voice replicating technology.

Professor Claire Smith, head of anatomy at Brighton and Sussex Medical School, which worked alongside Channel 4 for the documentary, said the university had been "so privileged" to do the work thanks to Toni's "incredible donation".

"As part of this documentary, we were able to invite more than 1,000 students, including nurses, paramedics and neuroscientists, who wouldn’t normally get to learn about this one in a million cancer," she added.

“Toni’s gift of body donation doesn’t end with this documentary either; her body will be used to educate our medical students and doctors for years to come.”

Anna Miralis, Channel 4 commissioning editor, said: "This landmark documentary will bring together the latest in anatomical science and cutting-edge tech to tell one of the most intimate stories of all: how a young mum bravely fought for her life against a rare form of cancer.

"By donating her body to public display – the first of its kind in the UK – Toni Crews has given us an extraordinary and unique insight into the journey of the disease; while the presence of her voice in the form of diary entries, letters and social media posts ensures the film is filled with all the warmth and generosity that characterised Toni’s inspiring life."

My Dead Body will air on Channel 4 at 10pm tonight (Monday, December 5).