Widow urges other men to get checked after husband’s sudden death

Tributes have been paid to a much-loved dad-of-two and grandad who died suddenly after a headache turned out to be a catastrophic brain injury.

Daniel Dehavilland, known as Dan, from Bridgewater Road in Sheerness, was pronounced brain dead just hours after he returned home from his job at Teynham Construction complaining about “feeling dizzy”.

The 44-year-old’s wife of 11 years, Melissa, 42, had returned home after taking their youngest son, Ollie, to the park.

The six-year-old was the one who found his dad slumped over the bed barely responsive.

Melissa’s sister, 41-year-old Michelle Dehavilland from Faversham, said: “He was very popular, and such a nice guy, he’d do anything for anyone.

“Dan went to the doctor saying that he didn’t feel right. But after undergoing a few tests nothing showed up and they said he was a fit and healthy young man.

“But then on Wednesday, April 12, he came home from work and told his wife that he felt dizzy and had a headache. He was holding the back of his head and was sick.

He was holding the back of his head and was sick

“Melissa thought it was a migraine so she told him to rest whilst she popped to the park with Ollie.

“However, when she came home it was Ollie who found his dad slumped over the bed.”

Melissa rang an ambulance and after several questions and checks, they blue-lighted him to Medway Hospital.

He was then put on a ventilator before being rushed to King's College Hospital in London.

It was found that he had an aneurysm that caused a bleed so severe it caused a catastrophic brain injury.

Michelle added: “Melissa then came and got me but then later that night, at about 1am on Thursday, April 13, the doctor told us that his pupils had dilated in the ambulance on his way to the hospital and he was brain dead.

“They drained a bleed on his brain but there was nothing they could do.”

Later that day it was confirmed that Dan’s brain stem had died and he was pronounced dead at 3.30pm the following day on April 14.

Michelle said: “Dan was Melissa’s life support. They’d been together for 27 years and got married in 2011.

“They met when he was 17 and she was 16 with her four-month-old son, Brandon. Dan took Brandon in as his own.

“He was amazing, funny and his whole life was about Ollie. And then his older son, Brandon had a baby boy, Braydon.

“He is now one and got to have a precious year with his grandad.”

Michelle explained that Dan was adored by his friends and family.

She added: “Dan was really nice, everybody loved him. He never said a bad word about anyone.

“His whole life was his family, he worked really hard all the time to provide for them.

“Everyone saw Melissa and Dan as Posh and Becks. Everyone wanted a husband like Dan.

“He did everything right. They had a strong relationship.”

Following his sudden death a GoFundMe page was set up to help support Melissa and her boys.

So far almost £10,000 has been raised to help his family get back on their feet. Click here to donate.

“Dan was also an organ donor and following his death he went on to save many others. Even in death, he helped those in need...”

Michelle said that although Ollie is struggling with the loss of his dad “he is a strong little man.”

She said: “Ollie did go up to say bye to his daddy. The hospital gave him a bunny and he thinks daddy is in it.

“Dan was also an organ donor and following his death he went on to save many others. Even in death, he helped those in need.

“But everything Melissa has known since she was 16 years old was gone in the blink of an eye.

“However, she is so overwhelmed with the kindness everyone has shown her.

“She wants to thank everyone who has helped her from donating to sending cards and flowers and even dropping her a text.”

Following Dan’s death Michelle is urging any young men who don’t quite feel themselves to get checked out before it is too late.

She said: “If you’re not feeling yourself keep pursuing it at the doctor. Young men don’t get taken seriously so go back to get that second opinion. He knew something was wrong and it was ignored.”

Dan’s funeral is at the Bobbing Crematorium on Tuesday, May 9 at midday. The wake is being held afterwards at the Co-op club in Sheerness.

Melissa has asked for any donations to be made to the GoFundMe page or for flowers to be sent to the Luke Allum Funeral Directors in Sheerness.