Ian North
Shortly after his 22nd birthday on November 8, 2010, Ian began feeling unwell.
Some weeks later I told him he should really go to the doctors. He was told he had sinusitis and to sniff Vicks in boiling water.
This did nothing and a day later, I had him at the doctors again. That time he was given antibiotics and nasal spray. The morning after he started them, I was going to work and Ian was knelt over the toilet being ill, it was hard to watch.
I went to work, telling Ian to call if he needed me. I stayed at work till mid-morning then I couldn't stand it and went home. He was in bed. He told me I didn't need to come home and was worried about me losing money, but I told him money was not important.
I got him another emergency appointment that evening. The doctor gave him pain killers. Three different doctors said it was sinusitis.
Finally, Ian started showing signs of improvement. That was on a Tuesday at the beginning of January. On Saturday January 8, I was delighted to see Ian up on the couch much better.
He had basically been lying down for some weeks, only getting up occasionally. He was talking about food, which he hadn't done for a while, that's how I knew he was better.
He was back to his old self, laughing and joking. He went back to work after having a bit of time off. Ian even went to work when he wasn't 100%. He was a grafter. He had lots of friends and was well loved.
I was going on holiday on January 15. The day before I took Ian to work, he was fine. He told me to have a nice holiday and I told him he had better behave. We both said 'love you', I pecked him on the cheek and off he went. I looked back and he waved.
Over the weekend, I exchanged text messages with Ian, but after Monday, I heard nothing from him. On the 19th I had a horrible feeling in my stomach. I couldn't get hold of him and no one else had heard from him. Then on Friday 21st I said to Dave I thought there was something wrong. I just knew it.
We had an early flight on January 22. That morning, Dave said told me my phone had been ringing and I had a text.
It was Ian's dad who lives in Derby. He asked me twice if Dave was with me. Then he told me we had lost Ian. I said what do you mean we have lost Ian, thinking he had run away or something. He told me Ian had died.
I couldn't take it in.
Flying back was the worst journey ever. Ian hadn't turned up for work and his colleagues became worried as they knew he had been ill so they called the police. My mother-in-law had to drive over with spare keys and let them in.
They found him in my bed. he'd died in his sleep. He was all alone.
His boss had phoned him on Wednesday January 19th asking why he wasn't at work. He said he felt really ill and was going to bed. I don't think he got up again.
They say Ian died on January 21st, 2011 as that's when they found him but I think it was before.
I wasn't allowed to see him as there wasn't enough staff in the hospital.
I didn't get to see him until the following Thursday. I wasn't allowed to touch him because of his illness. My husband and I had to take antibiotics.
Losing Ian has devastated a lot of people and left a huge void. He has a brother who is 21 and in the army and a sister who will be 16 next month. He is very much missed. Life is just awful without him. I still can't take it in.
By Trish Baughan, Ian's mum.
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