A British woman is grieving the loss of her fiancé, who died from an undiagnosed heart condition just days after announcing to friends that they were expecting a child together.

Marco Damaggio initially believed his breathing difficulties were caused by a heatwave sweeping London on July 6. According to Kennedy News, his fiancée Lana Corina called emergency services out of concern.

She was then forced to perform CPR as Damaggio, 34, fell unconscious before the ambulance arrived. Despite her best efforts and those of first responders, he did not respond.

Marco Damaggio (left) and Lana Corina (right).Kennedy News and Media
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“It feels like my life’s stood still since July 6,” Corina said. “It started as a normal day.”

She continued, “The weekend before we went to a wedding party for one of his friends, it was the perfect time for him to tell everyone about the baby that we’re expecting. He wanted to be a father so much.”

Lana Corina (left) and Marco Damaggio (right).Kennedy News and Media
“We woke up in the morning, had breakfast as always, and he went to get a blood test done because we went through fertility treatment,” she continued. “He came back home and even though he didn’t tell me initially, about an hour after coming home he said he hasn’t been feeling well after the gym.”

“It was during the heatwave. It was 35 degrees (Celsius) outside and the gym has no aircon, so I thought maybe it’s just exhaustion, having had blood taken out plus the heat and the workout,” she added.

Corina said the “nightmare started” when Damaggio passed out. She later learned that he had an undiagnosed heart condition.

Lana Corina (left) and Marco Damaggio (right).Kennedy News and Media
As a personal trainer and bodybuilder, Damaggio was widely presumed to be healthy because he carefully monitored his diet, routinely went to the gym and previously played a lot of rugby.

“He always took his supplements, he always hit his macros, he only had one cheat day a week,” Corina told Kennedy News. “I was always worried that he trained too hard, but it was part of him. He did that since before I met him. That was who he was; he worked really hard.”

“Too many athletes such as Marco suffer or die from undiagnosed heart conditions,” she added. “It seems to be very common in bodybuilding as well as football.”

Marco Damaggio (left) and Lana Corina (right).Kennedy News and Media
Corina believes more people should be screened for hidden heart conditions, especially if they experience any related symptoms.

“If we saw a cardiologist, maybe things would’ve been easier. He would have started treatment that would have helped him instead of just passing out and just never coming back,” she said.

Lana Corina (bottom) and Marco Damaggio (top).Kennedy News and Media
A GoFundMe page set up by friends to support Corina and her baby has received over £7,000 ($9,000 USD) in donations.

Reflecting on her late fiancé Damaggio, Corina said, “He changed a lot of people’s lives. He was more than just a coach — he was a friend, a mentor, a supporter and a confidant. He didn’t have a bad bone in him. For me, it’s been really hard to deal with life now.”

Related Stories
8-Year-Old Girl Dies After Contracting Brain-Eating Amoeba, Likely from Swimming in Lake

High School Quarterback Sustains Serious Spinal Cord Injury During Game: ‘His Neck Was Forced Backward’

“The baby is growing and I find it really hard to accept I’ll be a single mom because he deserved to be here,” she continued. “We found true love, which not many people get to experience in their lifetime, but it was cut short because of his undiagnosed heart condition.”

“Our hearts are not being checked unless something really bad happens, such as strokes or heart attacks and by then, for some, it’s too late,” Corina added. “Marco was an amazing person.”