Man, 36, suddenly died days after complaining about having earache
A father complained about pain in his right ear before suddenly passing away.
Lee Barnard was just 36 at the time of his death, having suffered with what he believed was an ear infection for months.
The condition got worse and with his health declining, the Brit was admitted to hospital following a seizure.
He had been complaining to his colleagues in Chester about not hearing out of his right ear for a while, before seeing a doctor and being prescribed some antibiotics.
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The MOT and Service Centre receptionist had told his manager, Wayne Elliott, that his ear was gradually improving following a holiday, only to call in sick the next day.
Wayne remembered meeting with Lee on 7 April, the night before he was due back in work, while he was driving home - the last time he would see his friend.
Although Lee was taken to hospital following his collapse, he fell into a coma and developed meningitis.
On 8 April, he was declared brain dead and the decision was made to turn his life support off.
Just five days later, the 36-year-old dad passed away.
Speaking to the Liverpool Echo, Wayne recalled: "He'd been complaining about an ear infection for a couple of months. He'd said he'd had a bit of pain in his ear and went the doctors in February and they told them to get his ear syringed and gave him some antibiotics."
Wayne remembered that it cleared up 'for a few weeks', but soon, the complaints came back and Lee's sense of hearing started to deteriorate.
"They'd literally just moved house, he and his girlfriend, Sophie, had just bought their first house together and I want to help her and their daughter Ella out," Wayne said.
Speaking about his mate, Wayne emotionally said: "Proper salt of the earth, he would do anything for anybody and nothing was too much trouble."
"His daughter was his whole life," he then admitted, saying that they would have 'millions' of conversations about his partner and daughter, describing him as 'a family man'.
"He was a massive Everton fan, he loved Everton. I'm a Liverpool fan so we always had that rivalry but he'd been to the two test events at the new stadium and he was looking forward to being there when it was full.
"Unfortunately, he's not going to get the chance to do that now. He was a brilliant lad, hard worker and a proper grafter."
During Lee's illness, Wayne set up a GoFundMe to financially support his family through the tough time, though now he is fundraising to support Lee's partner Sophie and their daughter.
You can donate to the GoFundMe here.
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.
Joshua Nair