A mum was left "smiling properly" for the first time since her partner died thanks to a very special surprise.
Kelly Orford's partner Henry Nangai suddenly collapsed and died in August 2022 while at his jobas a security guard. Henry, 43, suffered a sudden cardic arrhythmia, leaving his family "devastated".
Eldest son Mekhi "screamed in pain" upon hearing the news as the family came together to work through their grief. But the ECHO previously reported how Kelly hoped to carry out Henry's last promise to his sons.
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He had promised to take 11-year-old Mekhi to watch LFC in person and his five-year-old Kaian to watch Manchester United. Kelly, originally from Prescot, said young Mekhi is "LFC mad" and it would "be a dream come true", to carry out that wish. But the mum was struggling, having never had to arrange anything like that.
Since the ECHO shared their desperate appeal, the family received a very special surprise after being contacted by LFC, offering them the chance to watch Liverpool's match against Manchester United at Anfield on March 5.
Kelly told the ECHO: "Someone who works for Liverpool saw the story in the ECHO and my understanding is she contacted John Henry to let him know what had happened and they wanted to try and help us get tickets. We had a zoom call with John and his wife and they said they have young children themselves and the story touched their hearts.
"Because the boys supported different teams they wanted to get them at the same match, and they were so excited."
The young boys were also given full hospitality treatment where they enjoyed a three-course meal before another special surprise saw them meeting LFC dignitaries and "taking out the flags". Kelly added: "Mekhi is usually a chatterbox and he couldn't speak a word all day.
"When they took the flags out Mekhi shouted it's going to be five-nil I can feel it, and everyone laughed telling him not to be too optimistic. As the players came on the pitch they were then taken pitch side and sat in Klopp's chair and Salah touched Mekhi's hand which he now doesn't want to wash."
The boys loved their first match at Anfield to witness Liverpool's incredible 7-0 win against Manchester United. Kelly said for the first time since her loving husband died, she has smiled and meant it.
She told the ECHO: "Makhi was obviously over the moon, he was so happy jumping about. I can't thank the team enough, it was really emotional and I cried a lot. They made both their dreams come true.
"Usually I wear a mask and smile when I'm not feeling up to it but seeing them both so happy, I smiled properly for the first time. They really needed this, we'd gone to Uganda so the boy's could see their dad's grave and they really struggled, they didn't want to leave their daddy, it was the worst thing ever.
"But a big thank you to the ECHO too because this would not have happened otherwise."
Kelly, who had been with Henry for 14 years, was at home when she received a visit from police officers which "devastated" her world. Speaking previously to the ECHO, she said: "It was August last year he went to work and never came home.
"He was a security guard at the Trafford Centre and he was in the process of sorting out the boys' Christmas presents going to watch the matches but he died. He just dropped and didn't wake up. Detectives came to my door to tell me and when I woke to tell my eldest his dad had died, he screamed in pain, that voice will haunt me forever."
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