A dad who was the "glue" of the family called his loved ones just hours before he died.
Gary Porter left for work as a HGV driver at 4am and called his wife Lyndsey "like clockwork" at 7am. Often calling every few hours, but on December 14, their 10am phone call never arrived, prompting concern from his family.
Just a short time later, wife Lyndsey received a phone call to say her husband had been rushed to hospital in Cambridgeshire after "slipping at work". But tragically, the 47-year-old, from St Helens, died at the scene from a stomach aneurysm that stopped his heart on December 14.
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Despite feeling a little unwell prior, Gary was said to have had no worrying symptoms, except for stomach pains that were put down to his working schedule. Lyndsey told the ECHO the last thing her husband said was that he loved her and would call her later.
She said: "He phoned me at 7am, he sounded ok just said he had stomach pains and had a little sleep on the way down to Cambridge, but I just put that down to him in work early. He wished the kids a good day said he loved us all and he'd speak to me later. The 10am phone call never came, his work boss called at 10.30 to say he had been taken to hospital.
"From then until 1.30pm when the police came to tell me the terrible news, I was phoning every hospital in Cambridge believing my husband was still alive. Since Gary passed, my mental health has spiralled out of control.
"Gary was my go to person, the one who would make it better when I felt low and give me a me a big cuddle, now I’ve not got that and that hurts so much."
With no insurance to fall back on, the family now also face the horrifying prospect of losing their home. A fundraising page has been set up to help them through and support has come pouring in. The page has already reached £7,000 of its £10,000 target worth over 100 supporters and can be found here.
Lyndsey added: "Black Brook Rugby club I can’t thank enough for all their support and fundraising to help me and my children in this vulnerable financial situation. My family have been great support too.
"I also contacted the guy who gave Gary CPR so I could thank him for staying with my husband and trying his best to save him. As we know Gary couldn’t have been saved, but this guy tried his hardest and me and my family will be forever grateful to him.
"It’s the people who I thought who wouldn’t have been there for me are the ones who clearly have. I’m now left grieving for myself, my future I should have had and also grieving for my children. The children, Millie, 16 and Erith, 14, are trying their best to be strong.
"I didn’t think Erith would return back to rugby because it’s something he did with his dad, but the Black Brook rugby family have took him under his wings and made sure he is looked after. I will be forever grateful for their support and I’m sure Gary would.
"In time I would like to have a celebration of life for Gary with my family and the rugby family. Gary will be forever missed and my heart is truly broken forever until the day we meet again. I’m forever stuck in that day that Gary passed, it replays over and over again in my head."
Having met Gary 19 years ago online, the pair knew it "would be forever". As he moved to St Helens from Kent, the rest was history as the pair started their own family.
Since that tragic day, Lyndsey has found support through WAY (widowed and young), which she says has helped. WAY is the only national charity in the UK for people aged 50 or under when their partner died.
According to the NHS, a stomach aneurysm can be dangerous if it is not spotted early on. It can get bigger over time and could burst (rupture), causing life-threatening bleeding.
Despite Gary not experiencing any symptoms apart from feeling unwell, common signs can include a pulsing sensation in the tummy, tummy pain that does not go away and lower back pain that does not go away. If ruptured, symptoms include sudden and severe pain, dizziness, fainting or passing out, fast heartbeat and shortness of breath.
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