WELSH DAD PAULO BROCKWAY, 44, DIES SUDDENLY ON ANNIVERSARY HOLIDAY — FIANCÉE LEFT HEARTBROKEN

A Welsh father has died suddenly during what was supposed to be a romantic anniversary getaway with the woman he planned to marry.

Paulo Brockway, 44, from Cardiff, died in Cyprus after becoming seriously ill on the day he and his fiancée, Kerry Debono, were due to fly home.

The couple had travelled to the Mediterranean island to celebrate their three-year anniversary and had been enjoying their holiday before Paulo’s condition suddenly deteriorated.

Kerry has since described herself as “absolutely devastated” and said she still cannot believe what happened.

A HOLIDAY THAT ENDED IN TRAGEDY

Paulo and Kerry travelled to Cyprus in September to mark three years together.

According to Kerry, they had fallen deeply in love with the island and had even talked about returning there to get married.

“We had basically gone to celebrate our three-year anniversary,” Kerry told BBC Wales.

She said Paulo had told her: “This is the place we need to get married.”

The couple also placed a lock on a bridge in Cyprus as a symbol of their relationship.

But on the day they were supposed to return home, Paulo suddenly became seriously ill.

He was taken to hospital, where doctors discovered he was suffering from pancreatitis. Kerry said doctors later explained that he had suffered a cardiac arrest following the condition.

Paulo died the following day.

HIS CONDITION DETERIORATED RAPIDLY

Earlier reports said Paulo had initially been thought to have food poisoning before further medical tests revealed the seriousness of his condition.

According to reports based on information from his family, scans showed pancreatitis and his condition subsequently deteriorated. He developed a serious infection and reportedly suffered two heart attacks before his death on September 17.

Kerry said the diagnosis came as a devastating shock.

She told BBC Wales that Paulo had been thriving and had so much to look forward to.

“He had so much to live for and he was just gone in the blink of an eye,” she said.

FAMILY LEFT “COMPLETELY HEARTBROKEN”

Paulo’s death has devastated his fiancée, his 12-year-old son, his mother and his siblings.

His sister Samantha described him as a devoted father and loving partner who had been excited about his future with Kerry.

She said the family had never seen him so happy and that he had been looking forward to their wedding and everything that lay ahead.

Kerry also paid tribute to the man she had expected to spend the rest of her life with.

“I just can’t believe it’s all happened. I’m absolutely devastated, heartbroken and my heart is in a million pieces,” she said.

A PASSION FOR CLIMBING

In recent years, Paulo had developed a passion for mountain climbing.

Kerry said he loved the challenge of reaching increasingly difficult peaks and had also used some of his climbs to raise money for charity.

“He climbed mountains for charity, raising money to help others,” she wrote in a fundraising appeal.

She said the activity gave Paulo something to look forward to and brought him enormous happiness.

FAMILY NOW PREPARES TO BRING HIM HOME

Kerry has launched a fundraiser to help with Paulo’s funeral expenses.

She said Paulo did not have life insurance and that the funeral was expected to cost around £7,000.

The family’s fundraising page says his body is being repatriated from Cyprus to Cardiff, allowing his loved ones to bring him home and begin funeral arrangements.

As of the latest fundraiser update available, more than £2,400 had been raised toward a £3,000 initial target.

Kerry ended her appeal with a final message to her fiancé:

“I will love and miss you forever, Paulo.”

For a couple who travelled to Cyprus to celebrate three years of love and talk about a future wedding, the holiday ended with a loss their family never expected to face.

Paulo was 44.

He leaves behind a son, a grieving fiancée and a family who are now preparing to say goodbye.