WELSH DAD DIES SUDDENLY DURING CYPRUS ANNIVERSARY TRIP AS FIANCÉE REVEALS THEIR HEARTBREAKING WEDDING DREAM

A Welsh father has died suddenly while on a romantic anniversary trip to Cyprus with his fiancée, leaving his family devastated just months before the couple had hoped to get married.

Paulo Brockway, 44, from Cardiff, had travelled to Cyprus with his fiancée, Kerry Debono, to celebrate their third anniversary.

What was supposed to be a special holiday for the couple turned into a tragedy after Paulo suddenly became seriously ill on the day they were due to return home.

Kerry said she was left “absolutely devastated” and “heartbroken” by the sudden loss of the man she had planned to marry.

‘HE HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR’

Speaking to BBC Wales, Kerry described Paulo’s death as something she still struggles to comprehend.

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

The couple had been together for three years and had fallen deeply in love with Cyprus during their relationship.

According to Kerry, Paulo had even suggested that the island could be the place where they would eventually marry.

“He said, ‘this is the place we need to get married’,” she recalled.

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

Now, that holiday has become one of the last memories Kerry has of the man she was planning to marry.

A SUDDEN MEDICAL EMERGENCY

Paulo became seriously unwell on the day the couple were due to fly home.

According to reports, he was initially thought to have food poisoning. A subsequent scan revealed that he was suffering from pancreatitis, with reports saying his pancreas had stopped functioning.

Kerry said doctors in Cyprus told her that Paulo had suffered a cardiac arrest following pancreatitis.

He later died in hospital.

His family said he had experienced stomach pain and extreme tiredness in the months before the holiday and had sought medical attention, but they believed the seriousness of his condition had not been recognised.

‘HE WAS THRIVING’

For Kerry, one of the most painful parts of the tragedy is how quickly everything changed.

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

“He was thriving. We had basically gone to celebrate our three-year anniversary.”

The couple had been looking forward to their future together, including their wedding.

Paulo also leaves behind his 12-year-old son, as well as his mother, siblings and wider family.

His sister Samantha described him as a devoted father, loving fiancé, brother and son.

She said his relationship with Kerry had brought a visible change in him and that the family had never seen him so happy.

The couple had been planning to marry the following year.

A MAN WHO LOVED ADVENTURE

Paulo was remembered not only for his role as a father and partner, but also for his love of the outdoors.

His family said he had developed a passion for mountain climbing during his relationship with Kerry.

He took part in climbs to raise money for charity and enjoyed challenging himself to reach increasingly difficult peaks.

Kerry said climbing had become something that gave Paulo a sense of purpose and excitement.

“It was something he was incredibly passionate about and brought him so much happiness,” she said in a fundraising appeal.

His sister said he had achieved goals he had worked hard for and had finally found a relationship in which he was genuinely happy.

“He still had so much life left to live,” she said.

FAMILY NOW FACING AN UNEXPECTED FAREWELL

Paulo’s sudden death has left his loved ones facing funeral arrangements they never expected to make.

Kerry said the couple had holiday insurance covering hospital costs and the repatriation of Paulo’s body, but she launched a fundraiser to help with funeral expenses.

The family also hopes that sharing Paulo’s story could raise awareness of pancreatitis and the symptoms associated with the condition.

For Kerry, however, the loss is deeply personal.

The holiday that was supposed to celebrate three years of their relationship has instead become a final chapter in their story together.

“We had so much planned,” she said, describing Paulo as someone who had so much more he wanted to experience.

The couple had dreamed of returning to Cyprus to get married.

Instead, Kerry is now left with photographs, memories and the small love lock they placed on the island — a symbol of a future they never got to live.

Paulo is remembered by his family as a loving father, devoted partner and adventurous man who had “so much life left to live.”