Dad whose final wish was to die at home passes away minutes after arrival

23.11.2022 - 00:27 / dailyrecord.co.uk

A man whose final wish was to spend his last moments at home passed away just minutes after walking through the door.

Frederick Butler had already been in hospital for nine weeks with serious health problems when he was given the heartbreaking news that he had just two weeks to live.

It was the 61-year-old's dying wish to pass away in the comfort of his own home and he was driven back by a patient ambulance. As soon as the door was opened, he collapsed into a chair and was struggling to breathe, Hull Live reports.

His son Ashley Butler laid him on the floor and performed CPR in a desperate bid to resuscitate him, but he could not be saved. Fred passed away after being back in the house for less than five minutes, telling his family: "I’ve got my wish, I’m going, I can’t breathe."

His daughter, Amanda Butler, described her dad as a "fighter" who was well-known in Orchard Park for mowing people's lawns for them. She has since set up a GoFundMe page with a fundraising goal of £1,500 to help with funeral costs.

Ashley said: “We weren’t expecting it to be so quick. I didn’t know where to put myself but I knew I had to do something. I didn’t have a clue what to expect when he passed. I don’t think it’s sunk in. In his final moments my dad said, 'I’ve got my wish, I’m going, I can’t breathe.'"

With his final breath, Fred also told loved ones he was going to be reunited with his own dad, Ashley’s grandfather.

The dad-of-four was surrounded by his children when he passed away, as he had wanted. Fred had suffered from a combination of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, ischaemic heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension (high blood pressure).

During his time in hospital, he constantly had to wear a mask that