PAULO BROCKWAY: DAD DIES ON ANNIVERSARY HOLIDAY AFTER FALLING ILL ON DAY HE WAS DUE TO FLY HOME

A 44-year-old Welsh father has died suddenly while on an anniversary holiday in Cyprus with his fiancée, leaving his family devastated just as the couple were preparing to return home.

Paulo Brockway, from Cardiff, had travelled to Cyprus with his fiancée, Kerry Debono, to celebrate their three-year anniversary.

The couple had been enjoying their time together and making plans for the future.

But on the very day they were due to fly back to the UK, Paulo suddenly became seriously ill.

He was taken to hospital in Cyprus, where doctors discovered he was suffering from pancreatitis. According to Kerry, he subsequently suffered a cardiac arrest and died the following day.

He was just 44.

A HOLIDAY THAT TURNED INTO TRAGEDY

Paulo and Kerry had travelled to Cyprus for what was supposed to be a celebration of their relationship.

The couple had met in 2023 and had been together for three years.

Kerry later said they had fallen in love with the island and had even discussed returning to Cyprus to get married.

During the trip, Paulo reportedly told her that Cyprus was the place where they should have their wedding.

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

But their romantic holiday took a devastating turn on the day they were scheduled to return to Cardiff.

Kerry said Paulo suddenly became unwell and was taken to hospital.

Medical staff told her he had suffered pancreatitis, followed by cardiac arrest. Other reports said the condition had previously gone undiagnosed.

According to Kerry’s fundraising appeal, Paulo died the following day, September 17.

“I am devastated and will miss him terribly,” she wrote.

“HE HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR”

Kerry has struggled to understand how quickly everything changed.

Speaking to the BBC, she said Paulo had been thriving before his sudden illness.

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

For the couple, the holiday had been about celebrating their relationship and looking ahead.

Instead, Kerry was left dealing with the loss of her fiancé thousands of miles from home.

The suddenness of Paulo’s death has also left his wider family in shock.

He leaves behind a son, as well as his mother, sisters and brother.

Kerry said Paulo’s mother was particularly struggling to come to terms with the loss of her son.

A FATHER AND FIANCÉ WITH BIG PLANS

Family and friends have remembered Paulo as a man who loved life and was passionate about helping others.

Over the last three years, he had developed a particular love for mountain climbing.

According to Kerry, Paulo climbed mountains for charity, using the challenges to raise money for other people.

The climbs gave him something to work towards, she said, and he was always looking for the next mountain to conquer.

“It was something he was incredibly passionate about and brought him so much happiness,” Kerry wrote in the fundraising appeal.

His family said he had been excited about his future with Kerry.

The couple had been planning to marry, making his sudden death even more painful for those closest to him.

A FINAL TRIP HOME THAT NEVER HAPPENED

The family are now working to bring Paulo’s body back to Cardiff.

Kerry said their holiday insurance would cover the hospital costs and repatriation, but Paulo did not have life insurance.

She therefore launched a GoFundMe appeal to help cover the cost of his funeral, estimated at around £7,000.

The fundraiser was created on September 19.

Kerry said Paulo’s body was expected to be repatriated from Cyprus within seven to 10 days so his family could begin making funeral arrangements.

She appealed for donations, saying that every contribution would help give Paulo the farewell he deserved.

“OUR WHOLE FAMILY IS ABSOLUTELY HEARTBROKEN”

Paulo’s relatives have described the circumstances of his death as almost impossible to comprehend.

The family had believed they would soon be welcoming Paulo and Kerry home from their anniversary trip.

Instead, they were faced with the task of bringing him home after his unexpected death.

A family tribute described how the couple had been enjoying what should have been an unforgettable holiday before everything changed.

For Kerry, the memories of those final days together are now mixed with unimaginable grief.

She said the couple had been making memories and enjoying their time together before Paulo became seriously ill.

HIS LEGACY OF CLIMBING FOR CHARITY

Among the memories Kerry wants to preserve is Paulo’s passion for climbing.

What began as an interest over the previous three years became something he deeply enjoyed.

He did not simply climb for himself.

Kerry said Paulo took on mountain challenges to raise money for charity and help other people.

Each climb gave him another goal.

He was always looking toward the next challenge and the next peak.

That passion has become part of the way those who loved him remember him — as someone who continued searching for new challenges while trying to make a difference to others.

A FAMILY NOW PREPARING TO SAY GOODBYE

Paulo’s death has left his son without his father and Kerry without the man she had expected to marry.

His mother, siblings and other relatives are also grieving.

The family now faces the difficult process of arranging his funeral while trying to understand how a holiday that began with celebration ended in tragedy.

Kerry has described herself as “devastated” and “heartbroken.”

Her final message on the fundraiser was simple:

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

For a couple who travelled to Cyprus to celebrate three years together and imagine their future, the trip became their final journey together.

Paulo Brockway was 44 years old.