A family have been left heartbroken after a beloved died died from coronavirus after turning down the vaccine despite pleas from his wife.
Gligor Kedioski was admitted to hospital with Covid-19 in December, with his loved ones unsure exactly where he contracted virus.
The 45-year-old was unvaccinated at the time of his death, despite wife Bilyana begging him to get the jab before he fell ill, the Liverpool Echo reports.
He spent three weeks under the care of doctors, during which time he was placed in an induced coma, before passing away on January 2.
Originally from Prilep, Macedonia, Gligor lived in Liverpool with Bilyana and their five-year-old daughter.
The factory employee, who also worked as a delivery driver during the pandemic, was well-known in his community as a generous man and good friend.
His friends described him as someone who was full of life and was always talking about life's next adventure.
A campaign for his remains to be returned to Macedonia was set up by Robert Karalioski, a friend of Gligor, who also stays in Liverpool.
Robert spoke of the loss of his friend and the importance of returning Gligor’s body to rest in his home city.
He said: “He was a great friend - he was one of those people who would be right there for you if you needed help. He was really known for that among the community.
“He was slightly older than me and I met him in Liverpool, but we were both from the same place. He became a really, really good friend of mine.”
“We’re not 100% sure how he contracted covid.
“Once he was admitted to hospital, only Bilyana was allowed to visit him. She was spending hours and days there, especially in his last week.
“She slept in the hospital for the final two days. The doctors said that when they put him in an induced coma, she wanted to be there - to speak to him, to play some music that he really liked.
“Even before the end she was visiting for hours. She was there talking with him, while he was able to talk, and she would bring him Macedonian food that he liked.
"She was always present for him.”
Unable to visit Gligor, his family in Macedonia called him in hospital and sent plenty of messages.
With Bilyana holding the phone at his bedside, they spoke to Gligor while he was in a coma.
Robert believes that repatriating Gligor’s body would provide closure for the family.
The fundraising appeal on GoFundMe reads: "We hope to take him home to his final destination, his beloved city of Prilep. Most of us have heard a lot of stories about his life adventures in his city."
Robert said: “His father is still alive. It was Gligor and his family’s wish for him to be transported back to Macedonia
“Everyday, his family back home are calling Bilyana to ask when everything will be finalised and when the body will arrive there. It’s been a nightmare for the whole family, they need closure.
“Everyone is trying to help. It is a really hard time, especially for his daughter. She’s always asking when her father is coming back from the hospital and that’s the most difficult part to answer.”
As well as wanting to ensure that Gligor’s body is returned to his country, Robert hopes that his story raises awareness of the vital importance of vaccination against covid.
He added: “Gligor wasn’t vaccinated. Bilyana was fully vaccinated but he wasn’t.
“He was afraid of the vaccine, he wasn’t sure how it would work. He was afraid that he would get some kind of health complication from the vaccine.
“Bilyana tried everything to convince him to take the vaccine, but she couldn’t persuade him.
“Now, we really want to raise awareness of the importance of the vaccines.”
Robert’s GoFundMe campaign to repatriate Gligor's body has already exceeded its £5,000 target, raising over £12,000 at the time of writing.
You can view the fundraising campaign and donate by clicking here.
