CARDIFF DAD PAULO BROCKWAY DIES SUDDENLY DURING ANNIVERSARY TRIP TO CYPRUS, LEAVING FIANCÉE TO BRING HIM HOME

What was supposed to be a romantic anniversary getaway for Paulo Brockway and his fiancée ended in unimaginable heartbreak when the 44-year-old father suddenly became critically ill in Cyprus.

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

The couple had been enjoying their time together on the Mediterranean island and were already looking ahead to their future. According to Kerry, they had even talked about returning to Cyprus to get married after falling in love with the island during their trip.

Instead, their holiday ended in tragedy.

Paulo became seriously ill on September 16, the same day the couple were due to fly home.

He was taken to hospital after suddenly becoming unwell. Reports said doctors initially suspected food poisoning, but further tests revealed that Paulo was suffering from pancreatitis, with reports stating that his pancreas had stopped functioning.

His condition then deteriorated rapidly.

According to reports based on accounts from his family, Paulo developed a serious infection and suffered heart problems before his death in hospital. Kerry said doctors told her that he had suffered a cardiac arrest following pancreatitis.

Kerry said she was left completely devastated by the sudden loss.

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

She said Paulo had been thriving before the sudden medical emergency.

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

The couple had met in 2023, and their relationship had grown into plans for marriage.

During their anniversary trip, Kerry said Paulo told her that Cyprus was the place where they should get married.

The couple also placed a lock on a bridge on the island — a small symbol of their relationship that has now taken on an especially painful meaning for Kerry.

Instead of returning home together and beginning to plan their wedding, Kerry is now making arrangements to bring Paulo’s body back to Cardiff.

A FATHER, FIANCÉ AND BROTHER

Paulo leaves behind his 12-year-old son, as well as his mother, sisters and brother.

His sister Samantha described him as a loving father, fiancé, brother and son who had so much more life ahead of him.

She said Paulo was particularly devoted to his son and loved spending time outdoors.

“He still had so much life left to live,” Samantha said, describing him as someone who had found love, achieved goals and was planning his wedding.

Over the last three years, Paulo had also discovered a passion for mountain climbing.

According to Kerry’s fundraising appeal, climbing became an important part of his life. He took on mountain challenges while raising money for charity, and each climb gave him another goal to work toward.

She said he was always looking toward the next, bigger mountain and that the hobby brought him enormous happiness.

For Paulo, the mountains were not simply about adventure.

They were also a way of helping others.

His family said he loved being outdoors, challenging himself and raising money for charitable causes.

A FAMILY NOW FACING THE COST OF SAYING GOODBYE

Although the couple had holiday insurance that Kerry said would cover hospital expenses and the repatriation of Paulo’s body, the family still faces the cost of his funeral.

Paulo did not have life insurance, leaving Kerry with expenses that the couple had never expected to face.

She has launched a GoFundMe campaign titled “Help Paulo have the send off he deserves.”

The fundraiser initially set a target of £3,000, while Kerry estimates the overall funeral costs could reach approximately £7,000.

As of the latest available update, the campaign had raised around £2,490 from more than 80 donations, with people continuing to contribute in Paulo’s memory.

Kerry explained that Paulo’s body was expected to be repatriated from Cyprus to Cardiff within approximately seven to 10 days, allowing the family to bring him home and begin making funeral arrangements.

She has also thanked those who have supported the family during the devastating period, including the British Embassy.

“I WILL LOVE AND MISS YOU FOREVER”

For Kerry, the hardest part is knowing how quickly everything changed.

One moment, she and Paulo were celebrating three years together and talking about their future.

The next, she was sitting in a hospital in a foreign country, facing the loss of the man she expected to marry.

Their anniversary trip was supposed to create memories they would share for years.

Instead, it became the final journey they would ever take together.

In her fundraising appeal, Kerry wrote:

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

She signed the message:

“Forever your broken-hearted fiancée, Kerry.”

Paulo was just 44 years old.

He leaves behind a son who has lost his father, a family mourning a beloved son and brother, and a fiancée who is now preparing to say goodbye to the man she planned to spend the rest of her life with.

The mountain climber who spent the last three years reaching new heights for charity now has a family waiting to bring him home.

And for Kerry, the future they had been planning together has suddenly become a life she must learn to navigate without him.