SCOTLAND – A dog lover hid the fact that he was coughing up blood from his parents as he thought he only a bad back before he died from cancer days later.
He Hid the Symptoms
Gerald Green, 21, from Paisley in Scotland, had been coughing up blood and suffering with a sore back in the lead up to his death but decided to hid his symptoms from his parents.
He eventually told his mother Paula on January 19 this year, who then immediately rushed him to the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Glasgow where he was found to be suffering from severe anemia, caused by a deficiency of red blood cells.
Efforts to Save His Life
Gerald was given surgery to drain his kidney during which he stopped breathing and doctors had to quickly resuscitate him before putting him into an induced coma to keep him alive.
He later woke up on January 26 when doctors broke the tragic news that he had incurable and aggressive cancer. Gerald started end of life care at St Vincent’s Hospice on January 30, but passed away beside his family just hours after arriving.
Victim Impact Statement
Gerald’s cousin Ailley Colquhoun said he was a ‘funny, cheeky lad’ with a love for dogs and a fan of his local Scottish Premiership side St Mirren FC. He was also an avid footballer before started caring for his father in recent years.
Ailley told the Daily Record: ‘When my auntie Paula found out Gerald had been hiding the fact he had blood in his sick, she immediately took him to hospital.
‘He was obviously scared when he hid it so we’re urging anyone who has any symptoms like his to get checked out immediately, before it’s too late.
‘There was nothing they could do for Gerald, the cancer was just everywhere. It was in his bones and in his blood.
‘Our whole family were with him when he died. He told us he loved us and he said goodbye. Those were his last words. He passed away a few hours later.’
