DAD, 44, DIES SUDDENLY ON ANNIVERSARY VACATION AFTER DOCTORS DISCOVER UNDIAGNOSED CONDITION

Paulo Brockway and his fiancée had traveled to Cyprus to celebrate three years together and were preparing to fly home when he suddenly became seriously ill. One day later, the 44-year-old father was dead.

What was supposed to be a celebration of love and a future together became a devastating goodbye for Paulo Brockway and his fiancée, Kerry Debono.

The Cardiff, Wales, couple had traveled to Cyprus in September to celebrate their three-year anniversary. They had been enjoying the holiday and talking about their future, including the possibility of getting married on the island they had grown to love.

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

Kerry said doctors in Cyprus later told her that Paulo had suffered cardiac arrest following pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition of the pancreas that she said had previously gone undiagnosed.

Paulo died shortly afterward at the age of just 44.

His death has left Kerry facing a future she never expected, while his son, mother, siblings and wider family mourn a man they believed still had many years ahead of him.

‘HE HAD SO MUCH TO LIVE FOR’

Speaking to the BBC, Kerry described the sudden loss as almost impossible to comprehend.

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

She said Paulo had been thriving before the medical emergency.

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

During their anniversary trip, Paulo reportedly told Kerry that Cyprus was the place where they needed to get married.

The couple even placed a lock on a bridge on the island as a symbol of their relationship.

Instead of returning home together, Kerry was left preparing to bring her fiancé back to Cardiff.

A SUDDEN MEDICAL EMERGENCY

According to reports from Paulo’s family, he became seriously ill on September 16, the day the couple were scheduled to fly home.

A report carried by AOL/WalesOnline said doctors initially suspected food poisoning, but further tests revealed that Paulo was suffering from pancreatitis and that his pancreas had stopped functioning.

The report said he subsequently developed a serious infection and suffered two heart attacks before his death.

Kerry told the BBC that doctors in Cyprus explained to her that Paulo’s cardiac arrest followed pancreatitis, a condition she said had not previously been diagnosed.

There is some discrepancy over the exact date of death in public accounts. The BBC reports that Paulo died on September 16, while Kerry’s GoFundMe appeal states that he became ill on the day they were due to fly home and “passed away the following day, on 17th September.”

A DEVOTED DAD AND FIANCÉ

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

His sister Samantha Brockway said the family had been completely devastated by his death.

She described Paulo as a loving father, fiancé, brother and son who had been genuinely excited about his future with Kerry.

According to Samantha, Paulo’s relationship with Kerry had transformed his life.

She said the family had never seen him so happy and that the couple were planning to get married the following year.

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

She also said Paulo was particularly devoted to his son.

For his family, the loss is especially painful because of everything Paulo had been looking forward to.

He had found love.

He was planning a wedding.

And he had developed passions that brought him enormous happiness.

THE MOUNTAINS THAT BROUGHT HIM JOY

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

According to Kerry’s fundraising page, climbing became an important part of his life.

He took on mountain challenges while raising money for charity, using each climb as an opportunity to help others.

Kerry said the challenge of reaching each summit gave Paulo something to look forward to, with every achievement making him want to tackle the next, bigger mountain.

It was a passion that brought him tremendous happiness.

His sister similarly remembered him as someone who loved the outdoors, adventure and helping other people.

For Paulo, climbing was not simply a hobby. It had become part of the life he was building with Kerry.

NOW HIS FIANCÉE IS TRYING TO BRING HIM HOME

Paulo’s death has also left his family facing the practical and financial consequences of a tragedy that happened thousands of miles from home.

Kerry said the couple had travel insurance, which would cover the hospital costs and the repatriation of Paulo’s body to Cardiff.

But Paulo did not have life insurance, leaving the family facing funeral expenses they had never expected to pay.

Kerry created a GoFundMe campaign called “Help Paulo have the send off he deserves.”

She estimated the funeral would cost around £7,000.

The fundraiser initially set a target of £3,000 and, at the latest available update, had received £2,490 from 82 donations.

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

She has also expressed gratitude for assistance from the British Embassy during the ordeal.

‘I WILL LOVE AND MISS YOU FOREVER’

For Kerry, the hardest part is knowing how quickly the future they had been planning disappeared.

They had traveled to Cyprus to celebrate their anniversary.

They had talked about getting married.

They had marked their love with a lock on a bridge.

And then, suddenly, Kerry was facing life without the man she expected to marry.

In her GoFundMe appeal, she wrote:

“I am devastated and will miss him terribly.”

She described mountain climbing as something Paulo had grown to absolutely love and said his passion for helping others through charity work had brought him immense happiness.

She ended the appeal with a heartbreaking message to the man she planned to spend her life with:

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

She signed it:

“Forever your broken-hearted fiancee Kerry.”

Paulo Brockway was just 44 years old.

He leaves behind a son who has lost his father, a mother mourning her son, siblings mourning their brother, and a fiancée who is now preparing to say goodbye to the man she hoped would become her husband.

The anniversary trip was supposed to be a celebration of the life they were building together.

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