A well-known homeless man, who died suddenly from a heart attack has had his last wish granted thanks to the generosity of kind strangers.
Harold McCaffrey was staying at the Rose Brae hostel in Birkenhead when he died on October 29.
The 57-year-old was well-known to people in the area and they would often chat to him and bring him food outside Morrisons in New Brighton.
Cheryl German, a volunteer from the homeless charity Hope for the Hungry , first became friends with Harold when she began talking to him in March.
She set up the GoFundMe page to raise money for a funeral to give Harold the send-off he deserves.
But now thanks to generous donations from strangers and from people who knew him, Harold's final wish to be buried with his parents has been granted.
Cheryl told the ECHO : "People don't know me and they don't need to know me, but it is just so lovely that they thought the world of Harold.
"We had so many donations and so many messages, it's amazing for people to donate so much and be so kind.
"Harold was the sort of guy who would open the door for people and you could just tell he was this gentleman who had lost his way.
"The funeral will be dignified and what Harold would have wanted, he bought the plot next to his parents and now he has got his final wish."
"He really missed his parents. It was 20 years ago when his mum passed away, but Harold about them like it was yesterday."
Cheryl believes that Harold was street homeless for three years and used to work as a skipper on a fishing boat.
However, she said Harold left his job after he suffered a brain injury during an accident on the boat, in which he tried to save a crew member who fell into the water.
The air hostess said the accident left Harold in a coma for 12 weeks and he lost sight in one eye.
Cheryl added: "Everyone has their own story and I meet so many vulnerable people week in and week out, but they are all human at the end of the day.
"These people need to know that they someone cares for them.
"People did lots of things for Harold when he was alive, they would buy him food and get his dog, Alfie a dog bed.
"For the instant things like getting him gloves on a cold day many people would help."
Cheryl says everyone is welcome to Harold's funeral, which will include songs that mean something to the 57-year-old and his coffin will be adorned with a donated seafarers flag.
The extra cash from the GofundMe will be donated to Hope for the Hungry, which will go towards hosting a Christmas party on December 12 for service users.
Steph Parsons, who set up the charity with her husband, said visitors will get a full Christmas dinner, a packed lunch and gifts including a toiletry and warmth package.
Harold's funeral will be held on Tuesday, November 26 at 11am at the North Chapel at Landican cemetery, Birkenhead.
This will be followed by a visit to the graveside at 11.30am and a wake at the New Brighton Hotel, 93 Victoria Rd, Wallasey CH45 2JB from 12.30pm onwards.
To donate to the GoFundMe please click here.
