A HEARTBROKEN son has spoken of his father’s final moments as he fulfilled his last wish of dying at home.
Fred Butler died at his Little Horton home less than 10 minutes after being taken back by an ambulance. He was 61 and suffered from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, ischaemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
He had been in Bradford Royal Infirmary for nine weeks as he battled a number of serious health problems.
When doctors told him he had two weeks to live, Mr Butler was granted his final wish of going home and being surrounded by members of his family.
Mr Butler had four children and nine grandchildren and was originally from Hull, but moved to Bradford six years ago.
His son, Ashley Butler, 33, spoke of the last moments of his father’s life on November 11, and how he performed CPR on him and that an ambulance crew were unable to resuscitate him.
He said: “I really do miss him. It was 100 per cent that he got his final wish to be at home with us.
“When he came home, he said to me ‘I’m going now’, I said ‘no, you’re not’. I got him to his chair and he told me that he couldn’t breathe.
“He was lying on the floor of the living room and he just passed away. I tried to give him CPR as good as I could. I was having to push myself through it to keep going. Everyone was trying their hardest.
“Even when he passed at home he was smiling. He went as peacefully as he could and he was happy. It is a comfort for us, but we’re heartbroken.
“It felt like an hour but it was about five to 10 minutes that he died from when he came through the door of being brought back home.
“He was an absolutely amazing man. He was fun-loving. He would do anything for anyone.”
Meanwhile, Fred’s daughter, Amanda Butler, has set up an online fundraising page to help cover the costs of her father’s funeral.
The GoFundMe page is looking to raise £2,000, which includes a £1,500 deposit to help pay for the funeral which will cost a total of £4,900. Fred’s funeral will be held in Hull at a date to be confirmed.
Go to gofundme.com/f/5dsxh-funeral-cost to make a donation.
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