On the 27th February 2013 at about 8 o'clock in the evening, my father suddenly complained of stomach pains. A few hours later he was rushed to the Southampton General Hospital where he was diagnosed with Acute Pancreatitis.

The following morning he was transferred to the critical care unit in the QA Hospital in Portsmouth, where he spent the last 7 months of his life. He tragically passed away in the early hours of the 22nd September, after a long battle with the disease. 

When we were told he had Acute Pancreatitis we knew very little about it; we certainly didn't think it was a life threatening illness that would eventually take our fathers' life. The doctors asked us if he was a heavy drinker because the general consensus is that pancreatitis is predominantly caused by excessive alcohol consumption. My father didn't drink much at all; he was in fact a very fit and healthy man, and his particular case was caused by Gallstones. 

The doctors and nurses were amazed with his fighting spirit and resolve. He never gave up, even when told that his chance of survival was extremely slim. He had so many setbacks and always bounced back, but in the end he had one too many complications and finally succumbed to pneumonia. 

He was a remarkable man who achieved so much in his life. He was a fantastic husband, a perfect father and a great friend and he will be so sorely missed by all that knew him.

We have chosen the charity LAPResearchUK because we want more people to be aware of this disease and that it can be fatal. Any donations will be used to fund further research to allow anyone else who is unfortunate enough to be diagnosed with this illness, a better chance of survival.

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