'Loving' dad dies after urgent call orders him to go to hospital immediately
A "fun, loving" dad died just weeks after receiving a phone call telling him to go straight to hospital.
Kevin Gillett was feeling increasingly unwell in April and feared the symptoms were due to his Crohn's disease. Doctors told the 40-year-old there were no available appointments for six weeks, but by the time he was seen in June he couldn't keep food down.
Less than a week after his appointment, mum Odette de Freitas said Kevin was called by a nurse who told him to go straight to hospital where doctors would be waiting for him. The dad, from Huyton, Merseyside, underwent a series of scans showing a tumour on his liver which had attached itself to a vein.
Doctors at the Royal Liverpool Hospital carried out a biopsy before breaking the devastating news the cancer had spread to his blood, lungs and lymph nodes. Odette, 60, said the news confirmed her worst fears.
Kevin was initially told he could have four months left to live, Liverpool ECHO reports, but he tragically died at Whiston Hospital surrounded by family just six weeks after his diagnosis on August 1. Family friends have since set up Gofundme page has been set up by neighbours Lauren and Laura to raise money for Kevin's funeral, and cover the cost of a memorial where his seven-year-old son who Odette said was his "absolute world" can go to remember him.
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Kevin Gillett died surrounded by his family (Kevin Gillett)Odette said: "He'd been feeling quite unwell since having Covid after Christmas but by the end of April, May, he was finding he couldn't eat at all and was vomiting. Six weeks he was trying to get an appointment.
"I feel like he's been badly let down by the whole system. I couldn't knock the nurses at the Royal or Whiston they are amazing. But it's the whole system - they're not seeing people and doing tests before it gets to that stage.
"The staff are trying their best. It's the whole process. I don't know why they're not getting face to face appointments. I know there's a backlog after Covid. We just feel that when somebody has a chronic condition anyway that they would monitor it more closely and not do a telephone appointment."
Before he died, Everton FC fan Kevin shared his wishes for the service to begin with a rendition of Everton's anthem Z-Cars and end with The Killers' cover of Forever Young. Mum Odette described him as "determined" despite his health issues.
Paying tribute, she said: "He was a lovely, decent, hardworking guy who sadly had so much suffering in his life with Crohn's then at the end. But every day he battled on, determined not to let that define him.
"His son and dogs were his life and he was truly inspirational, he was loved by everyone which speaks volumes. He used to love music and went to Kendal Calling festival every single year. He was a big Everton supporter."
Kevin, who was born in London and moved to Liverpool when he was 20, worked as an account manager at Baa Bar followed by the NHS. He was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when he was 25, which Odette said had a big impact on his life due to the nature of the illness.
She added: "He had a little boy and that child was his absolute world. He did everything for him - no matter how ill he was he would always make sure he had something planned."
Kevin set up Huyton under-7s football team to help his son grow in confidence and make new friends. The team have now decided to change their name to Sporting KG in honour of Kevin - a gesture which Odette described as "unbelievably touching."
The family are asking for donations to be made to the football team instead of flowers at Kevin's funeral and will donate any remaining funds from the fundraising page to this cause. Odette would also like to thank Lauren and Laura for setting up the Gofundme page and everyone who has donated so far.
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She said: "All of us are absolutely touched by everybody's generosity. Everybody has been absolutely amazing and we can't thank them enough." You can visit the Gofundme page here.
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