A British man who 'lived to make people giggle' has tragically died abroad, leaving his family facing an estimated £11,000 to bring his body home. Damian Langley, 47, had been enjoying a holiday in Thailand with friends earlier this month and was due to fly back to Manchester Airport on April 21.
However, on April 19, his sister Nicola, 31, received a phone call from one of his friends that changed everything. According to the Liverpool Echo, Damian's friend revealed he had suddenly fallen ill. Nicola said: 'They didn't want to worry me. He had asked them not to tell me. But he had abdominal pains and he was complaining of seeing things. He was hallucinating.'
Nicola was told not to worry and that the group would be back in St Helens by Thursday, April 23. They travelled from Bangkok to Qatar on April 21, but while waiting for their connecting flight back to Manchester, Damian's condition worsened. Nicola explained: 'On the flight to Qatar he said "I really don't feel well. I've got the worst pain in my tummy I've ever had." So they took him to the medical centre at the Qatar airport.'
The medical staff said he would not make the flight but gave him fluids and planned to put him on a 7:30 am flight on April 22. Damian's friends returned to the UK, while Nicola prepared to pick up her brother from the airport the next day. After calling Qatar airport multiple times, she was told that Damian's boarding pass was still open, meaning he never boarded the plane. An agonising 24 hours followed as she contacted hospitals around Qatar trying to find out what happened.
Sadly, the family received the worst possible news on Friday, April 24, when police visited their home. They were told Damian's condition had dramatically worsened, and he had been taken to intensive care at Al Wakra Hospital in Qatar. He suffered pancreatitis and organ failure, and died on April 23.
Financial Burden for Family
Damian, who lived in Parr, had not taken out travel insurance before his trip, unknown to his family. The cost to repatriate his body back to the UK could be as much as £11,000. Nicola said: 'For me, it's like I'm trying to get all of this sorted so he'll come home and walk through the door. It doesn't feel like I'm bringing him home only for him not to be here any more.'
She added: 'Working to get him home is like I've got a purpose. When you're just sat there with your own thoughts, it hits you like a ton of bricks. I just found myself sitting in his bedroom looking at his stuff. My mum and dad were in bits.'
A Life Dedicated to Making Others Laugh
Nicola described her brother as someone who 'lived to make people giggle.' She said: 'He lived every day as it came. He wanted everything to be fun. He was always laughing, trying to make everyone laugh, coming out with one-liners.' Damian had struggled with alcohol in the past and had given up drinking for about two years before his trip. Nicola believes he did not tell his family about the holiday because he knew they would be concerned about the drinking environment.
His dog, Jackson, was his world. 'If you saw the dog, you knew Damian wouldn't be far away. Because he always had the dog to go home to, it gave him that stability,' Nicola said. 'He was very caring. If there was ever a problem he'd listen to you and give advice you'd never even think of. He'd give you his last pound. If he had a pound you both had 50p.'
Fundraiser to Bring Damian Home
An online fundraiser set up by Damian's friend Melissa Newman aims to raise £7,000 towards the repatriation of his body and funeral in the UK. Melissa said: 'As I'm sure those of you who knew Dame, knew he was a larger than life character, and put a smile on everyone's face. He brightened every room he was in. We've created this GoFundMe to help raise funds to bring Dame home, as he passed away overseas this can be costly but we want to help his family in any way we can so we can give him a proper send off and say our goodbyes.'
Nicola added: 'He was our first child and my mum was just 17 when he was born. They're really not coping well. I've been at my mum's house since Friday, and for 48 hours we didn't have a minute of sleep, because as soon as you get five minutes of silence we're sobbing.'
