A British father of four died on his birthday during a vacation, just days before he was due to get married.
Phil Boyd, 52, had been vacationing on the island of Kos with his partner of 21 years Lucy Garratt, 38, and other family members when he suffered from a heart attack in his hotel room.
The beloved dad suffered the cardiac arrest on October 19, just three days before he was set to get married.
Boyd and Garratt, from Walsall, in the West Midlands, had planned to get married in Mexico last year, but the COVID pandemic forced the couple to cancel their plans.
They then moved their wedding forward to this year and decided it should take place on Kos, where the couple flew out to on October 13.
Boyd had a health scare in June 2020 when he suffered from a heart attack and had a stent fitted.
Boyd's friend Beverly Longsden told The Liverpool Echo that Garratt was left "broken" by the death and said the couple's relationship was a "love story."
She then paid tribute to Boyd, adding: "Phil was easy-going and happy, he just loved life. He loved his music and having a sing-along when he was doing a plastering job.
"He had a massive heart attack on his birthday and passed away there and then. He would have been 52 that day."
Boyd's family are now crowdfunding to bring Boyd's body back to the U.K. as this was not included in their travel insurance.
A post on GoFundMe, written by Longsden the day after Boyd died, read: "Lucy lost the love of her life yesterday on his birthday, three days before their wedding. 21 years of love shattered in a heartbeat.
"Her world has crumbled around her and we want to make the foreseeable future as uncomplicated as possible, please donate generously, she has enough to contend with right now, let's ease one of those worries."
As of Wednesday morning, more than £14,885 ($20,480) has been raised out of a goal of £20,000.
Boyd is survived by Garratt and his four children, Rebecca, 29, Sophie, 20, Jimmy, 16, and Teddy, 6.
Newsweek has contacted Garratt for comment.
According to the CDC, there are several symptoms to watch out for that could indicate someone is having a heart attack. These include:
- Chest pain or discomfort that can be felt in the center or left side of the body that can last few a minutes
- Feeling weak, light-headed or faint
- Pain or discomfort in the jaw, neck or back
- Pain or discomfort in one or both arms or shoulders
- Shortness of breath
If you notice these symptoms in yourself or someone else, call 911 immediately.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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