A 21-year-old man who believed that he had backache from a bad mattress tragically passed away from cancer just a few days later.
Gerald Green, from Scotland, initially believed that his backache meant that he needed to replace his bed, but he soon began vomiting and eventually coughing up blood, signaling a grave underlying issue.
Attempting to conceal his symptoms from his parents, Paula and Gerry, Gerald's mother intervened when his health deteriorated further, rushing him to the hospital on January 19, per the Daily Record.
Medical professionals discovered severe anemia upon examination and promptly proceeded with surgery to drain his kidney.
However, complications arose during the operation, leading Gerald to temporarily stop breathing, necessitating resuscitation and induction into a coma.
Upon awakening, Gerald received the devastating news of an incurable, highly aggressive cancer ravaging his body. The diagnosis, delivered on January 26, left his family reeling, informed that the cancer had spread extensively, infiltrating his bones and bloodstream.
Tragically, Gerald passed away on January 30, mere hours after being transferred to St Vincent's Hospice for end-of-life care, leaving his loved ones in profound shock.
In the wake of this heartbreaking loss, Gerald's cousin Ailley Colquhoun, started a GoFundMe page to honor Gerald's memory and alleviate financial burdens for his funeral arrangements.
"Following the sudden passing of our beloved Gerald at only 21 years old. We would like to raise money to take the financial pressure off his mum Paula and dad Gerry at this heartbreaking time and help pay for the funeral," the page read.
It continued: "This as you can imagine has came as a massive shock to the family as he was only just diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer on Friday 26th Jan after a week of tests and waiting for answers and has now tragically passed away.
"Gerald was a handsome, funny and polite boy who had his whole life ahead of him and deserves the best send off. He will be greatly missed by everyone around him."
The page has now disabled new donations, but it raised £6,686 ($8,425) during the time that it was active.
On February 14, Ailley offered an update on how the money was used, stating: "Thank you so much to everyone for all your kind words and donations. It is greatly appreciated by the family. Gerald had an amazing send off thanks to everyone’s generosity."
Our thoughts are with Gerald's family and friends during this difficult time.
