On February 1, Dan arrived at Sarah’s house with daughter Phoebe and was complaining he had chest pains. He took a tablet for heartburn, but within 15 minutes he suffered a seizure and stopped breathing.

Panic-stricken Sarah gave her brother CPR to try and revive him, but he died less than 20 minutes after arriving at her house.

Dan’s family have been left devastated after his sudden death. He was a devoted dad to his five-year-old daughter Phoebe and a ‘gentle giant’.

Sarah said: “There are no words to describe it, it’s the worst feeling in the word. He was so big and strong, and so young. You don’t expect a 31-year-old to die of a heart attack.”

A post-mortem examination found that Dan had an arterial blockage, but there had been no symptoms until minutes before his death. Doctors said that there would have been a 12 to 13 percent chance of surviving a blockage in that area.

Dan was from Westerhope in Newcastle. He was living in Cramlington to be closer to Phoebe at the time of his death.

When you subscribe we will use the information you provide to send you these newsletters.Sometimes they’ll include recommendations for other related newsletters or services we offer.Our Privacy Notice explains more about how we use your data, and your rights.You can unsubscribe at any time.

Sarah told the Chronicle: “Dan was the type of person who would help anybody. He was the best big brother- super protective, funny, caring. Everyone loved him.

“You couldn’t even describe the love he had for Phoebe. His whole world revolved around her, and now she doesn’t have her dad anymore- the most amazing dad.”

He worked as a doorman in Newcastle and Durham for around five years, he was nicknamed ‘Big Dan’. Recently, he worked for the NHS on the switchboard and as a security guard at St Nicholas’ Hospital in Gosforth.

DON’T MISS:
Snow warning: -15C blast hits US as Atlantic air hits Britain[WEATHER]
Warning over home-cooked food sellers on Facebook[CORONAVIRUS]
Caroline Flack’s ex pens tearful tribute one year on from her death[CAROLINE FLACK]

Dan was known for his big blue transit van, the only vehicle he could fit in due to his 6ft 3ins height and wide frame. Sarah said: “He had to duck to go through doors, and he was so strong- he could pick up a freezer and walk around the house.

“He was a gentle giant, he loved kids. I have two young children and they could not have asked for a better uncle. My little boy is four, and he opens his window every night so he can sing a song to his uncle Dan.”

The family have started a fundraiser page to help pay for the cost of Dan’s funeral which is due to take place on February 22. All leftover funds will go to Phoebe.

Additional reporting by Katie Dickinson.

Source: Read Full Article