27 January 2023 , 23:02
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A dad tragically died on New Year's day after waiting 45 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
Max Forest, who has been described as 'the most loving and dedicated daddy' had caught a bug at the same time as his wife and children around Christmas.
The father of four thought that he'd been getting over the worst of it but his health suddenly took a turn and he sadly died while waiting for the ambulance.
His three-year-old daughter, Leaf, was then taken ill just hours after his death and was admitted to hospital, according to a friend of the family who has set up a fundraiser.
She was given IV antibiotics and was later diagnosed with invasive strep A but was thankfully discharged from hospital several days later.
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Max's wife, Athena, has been described as 'the kindest, sweetest, most devoted mother (eyJpdiI6IjJQY1E5SzBqc1JwMHdTQjZLUnh4YkE9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoielp6ZVhIcFN4bCtTWGovK0hHSzJtMmZRYWhBTkhBbjM3RnNTbStyMWhyWmtDbFcyQ2VqMS9xdFYrcVYyTkpqSSIsIm1hYyI6ImMxYmQ4ZDg1MThlNTllZDZmMTc3YzJhMTRiM2Y4NDEzMmYw)But Max's wife, Athena, is now facing a "nightmare of having no money for food, no income, and nowhere for her family to live", following her husband's unexpected death.
Jaillin Argent, who has launched a fundraiser for the family, said that "their lives have been shattered on every level".
Describing what happened on her GoFundMe page, she said: "Like so many others, Max and Athena’s family spent this Christmas unwell with a bug. Max had it the worst, but he was getting over it.
"Then on the morning of New Year’s Day his health suddenly dramatically declined, and while waiting for the ambulance which took 45 minutes to arrive, Max died.
"The shock and devastation for Athena and the children of losing Max is difficult to put into words."
Max leaves behind two children and two step-children (eyJpdiI6IkwyMVdtaVRMTkUzYWpidnk3R01nSFE9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoidVlTRHpTK3NPcVk2NU5RK1F2Z1VJaUs5RzZzZGtiSFF0TUtGSUFKMHl1aUV3YVo1RWlRNjNaOUZqWTh5cDBzUiIsIm1hYyI6Ijg3ZDNlNzg0MTQ5MzU2ZmFmNmM2NTdmNDViM2UwZDU5ZGYz)She added: "Max was the most loving and dedicated daddy to their babies, Leaf (3) and Meadow (1), and such a wonderful and loving stepdad to Ruby (14) and Lion (8) - just the best dad and stepdad any child could have."
The family had previously been living on the road but recently relocated from Wiltshire to Devon to begin the exciting new venture of setting up their own smallholding on land they were renting from a farmer.
But following Max's death the family "has had their world ripped apart".
Jaillin said: "Max’s sudden and unexpected death means this dream has now gone. As a full-time mum-of-four home educating her older children, Athena was entirely reliant on Max.
He was described as the 'most loving and dedicated daddy' (eyJpdiI6Im1BZ2NoRFZsa1ptZm9HSVpBM0o3OGc9PSIsInZhbHVlIjoiVEpwTDFscmpBNlcwUjMzVEVKMGwzaW5JSXdYQTRiTjBtMUwwL2Jkbzd6dlNLWWJ6NWpjSVJZcXZFcEJwV0toUyIsIm1hYyI6ImYwYTBhN2YyMzQyOGY4YTdiZDQ1MjgyYmNiZGU4YWFkOWQ1)"Without him the family can’t continue living where they were.
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"So not only has Athena lost her beloved husband and best friend - who was her world, her everything, practically and in all ways,
"But she has lost their shared dream, the life that was so important to them and that they were working so hard for, their special little corner of the world they were carving out together as a family."
Money raised for the family will go towards the cost of Max's funeral as well as "the family's basic day-to-day living during this initial traumatic period of adjustment".