{"id":45405,"date":"2025-04-24T02:10:10","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T02:10:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/45405\/"},"modified":"2025-04-24T02:10:10","modified_gmt":"2025-04-24T02:10:10","slug":"man-who-lived-life-to-the-full-dies-just-weeks-after-dad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/45405\/","title":{"rendered":"Man who ‘lived life to the full’ dies just weeks after dad"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aaron Allen’s sister said his death has “left a massive hole for everyone”\"AaronAaron Allen sadly died aged 49(Image: Claire Roylance)<\/p>\n

A dad-of-three who \u201clived life to the full\u201d died after a 19 year battle with heart problems<\/a>. Aaron Allen, 49, from St Helens<\/a>, suffered a cardiac arrest and died on February 7 after contracting a chest infection he “couldn\u2019t shift”.<\/p>\n

His heart problems began 19 years ago when he caught a virus, which spread to his heart and caused it to deteriorate. Six years ago he was told he would need a heart transplant and underwent the life-saving surgery <\/a>in July 2019<\/p>\n

Aaron\u2019s sister, Claire Roylance, 42, told the ECHO<\/a> how he was the “strongest person” she knows and things went “perfectly”. She said: “He had been slightly unwell before the transplant and found out the defibrillator that he\u2019d had fitted before had stopped working.<\/p>\n

“He\u2019d gone into stage three heart failure<\/a> at this point when he was told he needed the transplant. They found him a heart in July 2019 and he had the transplant. Things went perfect, things were perfect after, he got a second chance at life and he ran with it.”<\/p>\n

Following the transplant, Claire says Aaron did “everything” from going on holiday, to passing his driving test and landing himself a new job where he “thrived”.<\/p>\n

She said: “He did everything he possibly could. He lived life to the fullest, he met the best of friends, he was the biggest joker, had the driest sense of humour and was the biggest wind up there was. He was always joking and was the most amazing dad to his kids [Joseph, 24, Matthew, 22, and Mya, 13].”<\/p>\n

\"AaronAaron had suffered with heart problems for 19 years (Image: Claire Roylance)<\/p>\n

Sadly, in December last year, Aaron, Claire, and their sister, Bernadette, lost their dad to cancer. <\/a>The day after their dad’s funeral Aaron went to the doctors regarding his ‘unshakeable cough’ and later found out his heart failure had returned.<\/p>\n

Claire said: “In the weeks prior to his [their dad’s] funeral Aaron had a chest infection <\/a>that he couldn’t shift. Everyone had a cough around the time but he couldn’t shift it at all.<\/p>\n

“He was adamant he wasn’t going to the doctors until he carried my dad [his coffin at the funeral]. The day after his funeral he went to the doctors and they sent him straight to the hospital for tests.”<\/p>\n

On February 7 Aaron was told his heart failure <\/a>had returned and had killed both sides of his heart. The same day he suffered a seizure and a cardiac arrest.<\/p>\n

Claire said: “They brought him back around, but then a few hours later he suffered a seizure and cardiac arrest<\/a> again but this time they couldn’t bring him back around and he passed.”<\/p>\n

She says her brother\u2019s “unexpected” death was “such a sad loss”. She told the ECHO<\/a>: \u201cIt has been so tough for us all, it was such a big shock.<\/p>\n

“He has left a massive hole for everyone. We want his legacy to live on and keep his name out there.” The family have organised a fundraiser event, AaronFest, to raise money for the British Heart Foundation.<\/p>\n

Claire said: “We want to raise money as our way of thanking them for their support. And, we want to create awareness of the amazing work we do.<\/p>\n

“We also want to encourage people to get on the donor list because it can give someone a second chance at life, like we got with my brother.”<\/p>\n

The fundraiser will be held the day after what would have been Aaron\u2019s 50th birthday on Greenbank Crescent, St Helens<\/a>, WA10 3LH, on May 10. You can donate to the fundraiser in Aaron’s memory, here.<\/a><\/p>\n

Get all the big headlines, pictures, analysis, opinion and video on the stories that matter to you by signing up to our daily and breaking newsletter<\/a>. Sign up to our breaking news newsletter here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Follow us on X @LivECHONews<\/a> – the official Liverpool ECHO Twitter<\/a> account – real news in real time. We’re also on Facebook\/theliverpoolecho<\/a> – your must-see news, features, videos and pictures throughout the day from the Liverpool ECHO.<\/p>\n