A grief-stricken husband has paid tribute to his wife, who died unexpectedly two days after getting a headache.
On September 28, mum-of-two Nicola Irwin called 111 for advice after waking up with pain in her head.
It was suspected that she had a bleed on her brain.
Her husband took her to Royal Stoke University Hospital, where she had previously worked as a nurse for 13 years, for a CT scan and a check-up, Stoke-on-Trent Live reports.
The family were devastated to learn that she had an aneurysm - a bulge in a blood vessel, which is caused by a weakness in the blood vessel wall.
Nicola, 50, sadly passed away at the hospital two days later, on September 30.
She leaves behind husband Myles, 46, as well as her children Lauren Owen, 28, and Seth Irwin, 11.
Myles said: “It came as a huge shock. I was expecting Nicki to be out that afternoon. She was just going there for a check-up and a CT scan in my eyes.
“But the bleeding was so bad she had an aneurysm. She was brain dead and it was just her heart beating."
The family said goodbye to Nicola on September 29, and she requested that her organs would be donated after her death.
“She gave four definite donations," Myles said. "I’ve had the letters back from the people she has donated her organs to.”
Paying an emotional tribute to Nicola, Myles said: "I miss everything about her. I miss not being with her and not seeing her, her company, cuddles and love. I’ve lost half of me. I’m a boat and I’ve lost my anchor. I don’t know what I’m doing now."
The couple got married during a short ceremony at the registry office in Newcastle in June 2008.
Recalling their special day, Myles said: "The wedding was amazing. I had to wait at the registry office for three-and-a-half hours because there was a fatal crash on the M6."
Nicola, who was travelling to the ceremony from Congleton, almost didn't make the wedding as she was "stuck" in the traffic, Myles said.
"The registrar said it was too late but I said even if it’s the shortest 10 minute ceremony that's fine, so they did that, it was short and quick," he said.
"We went to the Noah’s Ark pub afterwards and we had the reception there. It’s also where we had the wake for her too.”
His wife, who had been working in children’s health services for the last six months, loved cooking and baking, he said, but especially spending time with her children.
“Lauren and Seth were her absolute world. They feel lost," he said.
“Seth doesn’t want Christmas, he just wants his mum back.
"She loved anything to do with the dog and getting out in nature. Going out for meals. We would travel and get away as much as we could.
“She was the chef of the house without a doubt. I used to be but when we had Seth she took over.
“My favourite memories with her include getting married and having our son together. She used to pull faces at me all the time to make me laugh.
“If we ever went out she’d make me get up and dance even though I didn’t like dancing but I did it for her."
He added: “Seth plays football four-nights-a-week so we are supported by the football clubs and the neighbours have been amazing as well.
“Her funeral was on October 29. I’d like to thank everybody that turned up to her funeral. There were a lot of people there.
“That support is huge. To know she was loved was good enough for me, I find comfort in knowing that.”
