A man whose partner suddenly died months after she dislocated her knee at a hen party is raising money for Wales Air Ambulance in her memory. Gemma Harries from Nantgaredig collapsed on January 16 this year and went into cardiac arrest in her boyfriend's home after suffering a Pulmonary Thromboembolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis.
The beauty therapist received CPR straight away while the Air Ambulance attended to her but despite the crew's best efforts, the 31-year-old tragically passed away at Joseff Edward's home in Whitland. Now as Joseff's first birthday without Gemma approaches, he is raising money in memory of his 'really homely and down to earth' girlfriend, Wales Online reports.
He said: "I just wanted to do something good out of a horrible situation so I decided to fundraise for the Wales Air Ambulance. They're fantastic." Joseff, who will turn 30 on Friday, paid heart breaking tribute to his girlfriend who had booked them a surprise trip to Rome for his birthday just days before her death.
He said: "She was lovely. She was the best. You can't really describe her with words because the first time meeting her you'd feel you'd known her for a long, long time.
"She was just really homely and down to earth. She'd help anyone out."
Joseff and Gemma met in 2020 after lockdown and spent their first date together at Llansteffan beach. After restrictions came back into play, their second date was spent in Morrison's car park in Carmarthen.
He recalled: "We parked our cars next door to each other and had a Starbucks and we chatted through a window there".
Gemma had been away with her friends at a hen do in November last year when she dislocated her knee and had to receive treatment in hospital in Yeovil.
After returning home to Wales, she received treatment again at Glangwili Hospital but Joseff said the swelling in her knee did not go down. He said: "It wasn't really something we ever thought would happen from a dislocated knee, but it did. I don't think any of us knew what a blood clot looks like or the side effects.
"We know what to look out for when it's a heart attack or a stroke. People really would know what to look for but with a blood clot I think it's totally different. Now, looking at it, you'd see the signs if you knew."
For his 30th birthday, Joseff has decided to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance in Gemma's memory for the assistance they provided when she collapsed. He initially wanted to raise £4,000 but has already raised over £8,000 and is said to be 'overwhelmed' by the support.
Joseff said: "I just think it's something that she would want me to do. With my birthday, she's already planned what was happening. She planned an open house and family get together, she booked a hotel.
"We're carrying on with the plans and I thought [the fundraiser] would be doing something good out of a horrible situation, just for her, and I think she'd be proud of that."
Nearly 400 people have now donated to Joseff's fundraiser which will close on Sunday April 16, two days after he marks his big milestone birthday which will be his first without Gemma since she passed away.
Gemma lived with her parents, Joyce and Hugh and was set to move in with Joseff on the week she fell ill. She also leaves behind her brother Jason and sister in-law Hannah and their two kids three-year-old Albie and six-month-old Tilly who she was a proud auntie to.
Gemma had booked a surprise trip to Rome with Joseff as a birthday gift just days before her tragic death which is something Joseff still plans to do. He said: "She booked that probably about a week before she passed away.
"She thought we were both going to go and I didn't know about it until afterwards. I think just doing these things for her keeps her memory alive".
You can donate to Joseff's fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance here.
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