The family of a young teacher who died in hospital after spending almost a year fighting for his life has launched a fund in his memory.

Ammi Fagan passed away on June 22 from multiple complications connected to an undetected brain aneurysm, which he had initially put down to a sudden headache.

His ‘devoted’ family is now raising funds for his memorial and for the Royal Hospital for Neuro-disability (RHN), where they say he received exemplary care in his final stages of life.

Ammi, 24, suffered the haemorrhage on July 5 last year and needed major brain surgery lasting 7.5 hours to save his life, before suffering two strokes.

He underwent 17 brain operations in total and at one point was on 31 different types of medication.

Despite being hailed as a ‘true warrior’, Ammi, who was in a coma, also suffered from asphyxiation pneumonia and after almost a year in hospital all of the complications took their toll.

His family is now raising awareness of the condition and appealing for funds for his memorial and for the London hospital through a GoFundMe page.

Ammi’s sister, Miriam, told Metro.co.uk the popular special needs teacher had made an ‘enormous’ impact on many people’s lives.

‘Ammi was really lively, he had an amazing sense of humour and though it may sound like a cliché, he was so kind, he had the biggest heart,’ she said.

‘He really went out of his way for his friends and family. He played semi-professional paintball for Great Britain and travelled the world, they played in America, the Caribbean and in London, and the paintballing community has shown us massive support.

‘He also campaigned a lot for children who have special educational needs and the amount of people that have come forward to tell us about the impact he has had on their lives has been enormous.

‘It was a cause close to his heart.

‘My mum’s house has been constantly full of people from all walks of life who have come to pay their respects.’

In his family’s eyes, Ammi was a fit, healthy young man with no health complaints.

Having since researched his condition, they now want to raise awareness of brain aneurysms, which rarely cause any symptoms until they burst.

Once they rupture, the person usually has a sudden, agonising headache.

Ammi suffered this symptom while he slept at his girlfriend’s house but, unaware of the underlying condition, took paracetamol and went back to sleep. He was later admitted to Royal Hospital London before being transferred to the specialist centre in Putney.

The family’s anguish was compounded while he was in the Royal London, where they say they were told they could only see him one at a time due to Covid restrictions. But they were with him as he passed away peacefully in hospital.

‘Ammi was a young man who was extremely sporty, so it didn’t make sense,’ Miriam said.

‘Eleven months down the line having done lots of research I now understand he had what is called a thunderclap headache.

‘That is when a brain aneurysm becomes a matter of life and death.

‘There is so little research in the UK, most of it is in the United States, and more awareness is needed in the UK.’

Miriam, 33, and Ammi’s remaining three siblings and mum, Grace, have now been for MRI scans to test if they have weaknesses in the blood vessels in their brains, which have come back clear.

The family, from Walthamstow, East London, want people to seek medical advice if they are showing symptoms of an aneurysm, a bulge in a blood vessel, which also include a stiff neck, sickness and vomiting, and pain on looking at light, according to the NHS.

Around three in five people who suffer a ruptured aneurysm die within two weeks and half who survive are left with severe brain damage and disability.

Ammi is remembered as a ‘true warrior’ on the crowdfunding page set up to raise funds to celebrate his life at his memorial, with any remaining money going to the RHN, which is a charity independent from the NHS but working closely with it.

Crispina Lot-Thomas, interim ward manager at the RHN, was among staff who paid tribute to Ammi’s family as the fund raised more than £7,600.

She said: ‘The team on Glyn ward only got to know Ammi and his amazing family for a few months. His family cared and rallied around him until the end. They ensured he was well dressed and smelt lovely at all times as this was how Ammi presented himself prior to him being unwell. His family was devoted and a great advocate on his behalf and there is no doubt he was loved by all that knew him.’

Consultant Dr Andrew Hanrahan reflected on Ammi’s promising start in life.

‘The entire multi-disciplinary team from Devonshire ward and then Glyn were sincerely touched by the care and love this family had for Ammi, a young man of 24 with such a promising life ahead of him,’ he said.

‘Sadly, a large aneurysm burst in his brain last July 2020 and he never truly regained full consciousness. Ammi slipped away peacefully before these discussions progressed any further.’

Delia Nicholas, a speech and language therapist and Ammi’s keyworker, was among those struck by Ammi’s character despite the tragic outcome.

‘The amount that Ammi’s family have raised since he died is a testament to the impact Ammi had on the lives of those around him.

‘It was important to Ammi’s family when he was admitted to RHN that we understood who Ammi was before his stroke and how energetic, funny and caring he was,’ she said.

‘Working with Ammi and his family was a privilege and we are very grateful for the fundraising they have done in his memory.’

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