A man whose partner tragically died at just 31 after she suddenly collapsed is raising money for Wales Air Ambulance in her memory. Gemma Harries, from Nantgaredig, collapsed suddenly on January 16 this year and went into cardiac arrest.
The beauty therapist received CPR straight away and the Air Ambulance attended to her, but despite the crew's best efforts Gemma tragically died at her partner, Joseff Edwards', home in Whitland after suffering a Pulmonary Thromboembolism and Deep Vein Thrombosis. Now, with his first birthday without Gemma approaching, Joseff is raising money in her memory.
"I just wanted to do something good out of a horrible situation so I decided to fundraise for the Wales Air Ambulance. They're fantastic," Joseff, who will turn 30 on Friday, said. Remembering Gemma, he said: "She was lovely. She was the best. You can't really describe her with words because the first time meeting her you'd feel you'd known her for a long, long time. She was just really homely and down to earth. She'd help anyone out."
Joseff and Gemma met in 2020 after lockdown, spending their first date together at Llansteffan beach. After restrictions came back into force, they spent their second date at a Morrison's car park in Carmarthen. "We parked our cars next door to each other and had a Starbucks and we chatted through a window there," Joseff, who is from Whitland, said. Towards the end of 2021, they became a couple.
Gemma had been away with friends at a hen do in November last year and had dislocated her knee, receiving treatment in hospital in Yeovil. After coming home to Wales, she received treatment again at Glangwili Hospital, but Joseff said the swelling in her knee didn't go down.
"It wasn't really something we ever thought would happen from a dislocated knee, but it did. I don't think any of us knew what a blood clot looks like or the side effects. We know what to look out for when it's a heart attack or a stroke. People really would know what to look for but with a blood clot I think it's totally different. Now, looking at it, you'd see the signs if you knew," Joseff said.
For his 30th birthday, Joseff has decided to raise money for the Wales Air Ambulance in Gemma's memory for the assistance they provided when she collapsed. He says he has been "overwhelmed" by the response. He initially wanted to raise £4,000 but, at the time of writing, the fundraiser has currently raised over £8,800.
"I just think it's something that she would want me to do. With my birthday, she's already planned what was happening. She planned an open house and family get together, she booked a hotel," Joseff said. "We're carrying on with the plans and I thought [the fundraiser] would be doing something good out of a horrible situation, just for her, and I think she'd be proud of that."
Nearly 400 people have now donated to Joseff's fundraiser, which will close on Sunday, April 16, two days after he marks his milestone birthday. For Joseff, this will be the first birthday without Gemma since she passed away.
Gemma lived with her mother, Joyce, and father Hugh, and was due to move in with Joseff the week she become ill. She was a proud auntie to three-year-old Albie and six-month-old Tilly, the children of her brother Jason, and sister-in-law, Hannah. She worked as a beauty therapist in Sukar in Carmarthen, was popular with her clients, and had many friends.
As a surprise for Joseff, Gemma had booked a holiday away to Rome for the two of them as a birthday present, something that he still plans to do. "She booked that probably about a week before she passed away. She thought we were both going to go and I didn't know about it until afterwards. I think just doing these things for her keeps her memory alive," Joseff said. You can donate to Joseff's fundraiser for Wales Air Ambulance here.
READ NEXT:
'I survived a freak gas leak that killed my mum, dad, brother and sister'
'I was homeless ten years ago - now I’m building a community village'
Major search underway for woman who went walking with her dog in Eryri and has not been seen since
Aamir Siddiqi murder: Police issue appeal to track wanted man on anniversary of teenager's death
Runner told marathon training symptoms are actually stage three cancer
