My dad Chris “Tiffa” Hollowed

Sadly on Wednesday my dad made an attempt on his life, he has recently been trying to navigate the new version of a heroin free life, alongside living condition struggles and social expectations he just couldn’t quite settle moving forward and felt the only option was to relieve the pressure by removing himself. Thankfully didn't manage it and was glad of that, he was taken to hospital Thursday morning via ambulance, he was physically ok and was given the all clear, they kept him in just to be sure , in hospital he started with a temperature so the plan was to continue monitoring him incase it was a delayed reaction from the tablets he took.

By Saturday he started with feeling a bit tight chested but was fine we were laughing and joking, planning the future. Sunday they moved him into the intensive care unit but he was still sat up laughing and joking we were under the impression this was for more oxygen but nothing serious, they had been giving him antibiotics to cover any infections that were maybe going on causing the temperature. They discovered his lungs were rapidly deteriorating due to a severe infection and couldn’t figure out what treatment to go with as this an unknown virus or bacteria. They did an X-ray and ct scan to find out his lungs were almost completely covered both sides, they said he had pneumonia and sepsis and things had the potential to be very bad he was a poorly man (not that you would have known as he was stuffing his face with tunnocks and tea ) I left him at 6.30pm expecting to go back the following morning and he would maybe be transfered back to the ward, I received a call at 10.30 to tell me they ventilated him as he only had 10 percent lung capacity available! Within 4 hours he had gone from 60-90%, I was so shocked but figured he would be ok they’d obviously done this to give his lungs the best chance ?? They warned me then that we were in a serious situation and that I should keep my phone on just incase, again I naively thought it was a worst case scenario they were telling me but by 12pm they called me to say we needed to come in as this was now a life or death situation .

They managed to stabilise him and he made it through till 12 the next day by turning him onto his front and performing a chest suction (don’t know the medical term) at this point they had done more X-rays and his lungs were completely filled with what they were now wondering could be a fungus. Dad was now being fully kept supported by life support he had hit the ceiling of medication which was having no effect the doctors now wanted me to make the tough decision to agree that there was no further options medically as his lungs were no longer working for themselves and his blood pressure was at 56 so very low with no chance of recovery, My beautiful dad was losing his battle one which he was never even aware he was having ! He was completely ventilated and sedated through the end he wouldn't have known and peacefully slipped away at 10.52 last night.

Our family lost an amazing human, he was a character alright and almost all people loved him, don’t get me wrong he hadn’t always made the best choices in life and paid his dues ! In the past year we discovered his need for an autism diagnosis which was in progress and explains so much but sadly we will never get to explore this drug free vulnerable version of him.

Im his next of kin and I consider myself to be self sufficient and organised but I’ve been caught out with the financial aspect of this unexpected situation at possibly the worst financial time in my life, the most basic cremation is coming in at around £1200 which I simply don’t have !

I don’t expect a penny from anyone he’s my responsibility but if you would or can at all spare anything to help support me to manage the most basic parts of the death of a loved one, a no frills cremation !

Ill be eternally grateful for any support