Daughters fundraising in memory of their dad
TWO daughters have shared their heartbreak after their “joker” daddy died suddenly just days after moving home to be closer to them.
Daryl O’Brien, from Llanelli, had moved back to his hometown just five days before suffering a heart attack outside his home in Swiss Valley on Monday, July 29.
The 35-year-old fitness enthusiast had been living in Cleethorpes, England, where he worked at a leisure centre before later moving to Malvern but would visit and keep in regular contact with his daughters in west Wales.
Hollie, aged 14, and Tiegan, aged 12, said that their daddy “always had a smile on his face” and would travel back home to see them perform in their musical theatre shows.
“One thing we always used to do is go to the cinema,” Hollie said.
“We used to do games night at his house and have takeaways with his parents and his brother which was like family time.
“He thought he was funny but you’d laugh at his jokes because they weren’t funny.
“He always had a smile on his face and was very talkative.
“He would pick us up in the car and we’d always sing There’s Nothing Holding Me Back by Shawn Mendes, and we recorded the song to play at his funeral.”
It is thought that Mr O’Brien was
getting out of his car when he suffered a heart attack and tragically died outside his home.
Hollie and Tiegan’s mum, Donna Thomas, who was married to Mr O’Brien for four years before they separated in 2008, explained that after speaking with his mother they learned that he had been suffering from heart palpitations.
“He had been going to the doctors but it was a shock to all of us,” Mrs Thomas said.
“He had got out of his car and was walking towards the house and the pathology report said that he wouldn’t have had any idea.”
Despite going their separate ways, the pair stayed in contact and still “took part in special occasions” with their children.
“It’s been hard watching the girls, because you can’t take the pain away,” Mrs Thomas added.
“The girls loved their dad and he’d just moved home and I think it was a time where things were going to change a lot and they didn’t have that opportunity.
“His aim was always to move home to be around his girls, but he loved to visit different places and I think he was at the time of his life where he was ready to come home. He’d been home less than a week. I think he moved back on the Wednesday and then it happened on the Monday.
“I just want to take their pain away.”
In the years that Mr O’Brien lived away, he had served in the 22nd Regt of the Royal Artillery Welsh Gunners for eight years.
Their daughter Hollie added: “He lived up in England for a while but he would make sure that he came down to see us as often as he could.
“He was always to see us or would phone us.
“He was always looking out for us and would make sure we were put first.
“It’s been hard. When it first happened it was really hard, but I feel like it’s got easier to cope with.
“Since the funeral it’s become trying believable because I don’t think any of us actually believed it happened.”
The two girls came up with the idea of installing a defibrillator in the Swiss Valley area of Llanelli so that “other people wouldn’t have to go through something similar”.
They have already raised more than £3,000 towards a memorial bench to be installed along the coastal path in Pembrey, a spot they loved visiting.
Hollie said: “We want it overseeing the water in Pembrey down on the coastal path as he was always down in the water and used to go diving.
“We’ve also got a family trivia night with Disney quizzes coming up on his birthday, as well as an online auction and a concert which is going to be full of our favourite songs, so it will be a happy event at Furnace Rugby Club.
“We also want to offer first aid training with the funds.
“We are doing the fundraising to keep his memory alive, and we want to do something every year.”
Mrs Thomas added: “The girls want to see it [the money raised] being used and they want to save someone else’s life in their dad’s memory.”
We are doing the fundraising to keep his memory alive and we want to do something every year DARYL’S DAUGHTER HOLLIE