Brit dad, 30, tragically dies on ‘lifelong' dream Thai boxing trip just days before birth of his second child
BOXER TRAGEDY Brit dad, 30, tragically dies on 'lifelong' dream Thai boxing trip just days before birth of his second child
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window)
Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
A BRITISH dad has tragically died alone in Thailand while chasing his dream of becoming a Thai boxer.
Ryan O'Connor, 30, passed away just days before his wife gave birth to their second child back home in the UK.
Sign up for Scottish Sun
newsletter
Sign up
3
Brit dad Ryan O'Connor tragically died on his 'lifelong' dream Thai boxing trip just days before the birth of his second child
Credit: GoFundme
3
His grieving wife, Joanne, is now raising two young children alone
Credit: GoFundme
3
Ryan pictured with his brother Liam
Credit: Facebook
The beloved husband, dad, and well-known member of the Rossendale community died on June 28 after falling seriously ill at a Thai boxing academy.
The dad-of-two had flown out to Thailand on May 29, determined to tick off a lifelong goal before becoming a dad for the second time.
Ryan's brother Liam said: 'He just wanted to do it before he had two children.
'He thought he couldn't go out there before having two children.
Read more world news
HOLS HORROR Brit dies after collapsing at popular resort on hols hotspot island
'It was his last chance to go and do something that he's always wanted to do.'
But the dream turned to tragedy just weeks later when Ryan became suddenly unwell, bedridden with severe diarrhoea and what his family suspects was a serious infection.
He managed a video call to his parents on June 26, describing his symptoms - prompting his dad to contact Ryan's hotel to ask for urgent medical help.
By the time emergency workers arrived, Ryan had collapsed on the bathroom floor and gone into cardiac arrest.
Medics managed to restart his heart after 15 harrowing minutes and placed him on life support.
But his condition worsened rapidly. He slipped into septic shock, his kidneys began to fail, and he passed away the next morning - just days before what would have been his 31st birthday.
Brit, 22, rushed to hospital after 'falling off boat in Magaluf & getting caught in propeller after drinking with pals'
Back home in the UK, Ryan's wife Joanne, a local maths teacher, welcomed their baby girl Maya Jasmine O'Connor Sunday morning —surrounded by loved ones but shattered by the loss of her husband.
She is now facing a future raising early-three-year-old Riley and newborn Maya alone.
In a heartfelt plea on the GoFundMe page set to support the grieving family, Liam wrote: '(Joanne) now faces the unimaginable pain of preparing to bring new life into the world whilst coping with the uncertainty of their future and the devastating knowledge that their new daughter will never meet her father.
'Riley, the first child who is nearly three, will not see her father again.'
'We are raising this money to help Joanne and her family manage the unknown costs ahead, including support for her two young children, keeping their roof over their head's, medical expenses, possible repatriation for Ryan and other costs associated with raising two young children alone, one of whom is due to arrive any day now.'
He added: 'If you knew Ryan, you would know he was a great dad and husband.
It was his last chance to go and do something that he's always wanted to do
Liam O'Connor
'His strength, humour, and warmth have touched so many people.
'Now it's our turn to rally around him and his family during their darkest hour.'
The GoFundMe campaign has already raised more than £42,000 towards its £50,000 goal, with almost 1,000 donations pouring in.
In an update, Liam wrote: 'Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude.
'In less than one week, we hit our £40k goal!
'Ryan was deeply loved, and this outpouring of support is a true reflection of the impact he had on so many lives.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Herald Scotland
42 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Sandie Peggie's NHS case is more important than Supreme Court ruling
Her colleague, Dr Beth Upton is a doctor and so must know that they will never experience what Ms Peggie was experiencing at that time. We know too that NHS Fife has spent more than £220,000 defending itself at the tribunal in a case brought by Ms Peggie. This will resume on Wednesday and is expected to last for another 11 days. Read more After Ms Peggie formally complained about being forced to share her changing-room with Dr Upton she was suspended following an incident at the Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy where both medics worked. She claims that her treatment at the hands of her employer was unlawful under the Equality Act, citing sexual harassment, belief discrimination and victimisation. There were many absurd moments during the first part of this tribunal earlier this year. Some of them edged towards sinister. Ms Peggie was forced to re-live some details of her intimate history, including being the victim of a sexual assault. There were attempts to portray her as a vindictive bully when there has been an element of class and social status startlingly evident throughout. We know also that, on two occasions, NHS Fife attempted to withhold information on the tribunal. When Scotland's Information Tsar, the hugely respected David Hamilton, called them out on this, NHS Fife described him as 'emotional', 'selective' and 'unprofessional'. We know this because this health board, whose chief executive earns nearly £150k a year, committed a massive data breach by including their diatribe against Mr Hamilton in their response to a mother who had requested a copy of her child's medical records. These revelations, serious though they are in respect of NHS Fife's basic competency, pale when measured against the callousness of Scotland's elite liberal class. Until Michelle Thompson spoke out last week, no Scottish politician has dared to express disquiet about the board's conduct throughout this tribunal. Neil Gray, Scotland's comically inept Health Minister, even expressed his confidence in NHS Fife. This is elite-level trolling of the Scottish public. The hospital in Kirkcaldy where Sandie Peggie worked (Image: free) Ms Peggie's trade union, The Royal College of Nursing, has also chosen to abandon her. In an era in which Scotland's Holyrood elites have been exposed as political fraudsters, the RCN's treatment of this nurse has been the most craven and cowardly I can recall of a British trade union. The Scottish Trades Union Congress is currently led by a property magnate who also apparently believes that biological men can live as women, so perhaps this isn't so remarkable. You can take your pick of the most startling exchanges during the first hearing of this tribunal. I found this statement by Dr Upton to be the most worrying. 'Biological sex is a nebulous term and doesn't really mean anything,' Dr Upton said. 'Nobody can actually define biological sex.' I believe that what this really means is: 'Female is a nebulous term and doesn't mean anything'. Coming from a fully-qualified doctor of medicine, this is deeply troubling. Yet, the most iniquitous aspect of these proceedings lies in something else: that they and their employers were most probably emboldened to act like this because the First Minister of this country and his two predecessors believe exactly as they do. They sit at the apex of a vast inter-dependent system of patronage that seeps into every crevice of civic Scotland. This is reinforced by every promotion, every emolument, every cash dividend handed to those groups which twigged early on that advocating for it was the quickest way to taxpayers' money for their organisations. Is this rooted merely in a deep loathing for the little people to which many powerful people succumb? Or do some of them sense that the grift is running out of steam; that the well in which they've drunk for years is about to dry up? And that all that's left is to squeeze as much as possible in the time remaining so that they can land a tidy non-exec somewhere: an academic post at the John Smith Centre perhaps, or a position with Engender or the TIE campaign? The outcome of Sandie Peggie's employment tribunal is, I think, more important than the Supreme Court's clarification of existing law that, for the purposes of the Equality Act, 'sex' means biological sex assigned at birth. In due course, UK civic society will be forced to adopt this, after the performative squealing abates. Read more In Scotland, though, if Sandie Peggie were to lose her job over this then it means that every stratum of civic Scotland: from the government, down through local authorities; the health and education boards; the trade unions; the professional associations will all be complicit. Certainly, you can say that the Supreme Court verdict ultimately gives Sandie Peggie a lifeline should she lose her case. This, though, must be measured against an awful truth that now confronts Scotland: that most of its political class, and its thousands of public servants, believe that 'woman' is a 'nebulous term' that 'doesn't really mean anything'. Scotland's governing class are like cockroaches. No matter how unintelligent, craven, unprincipled and dishonest they are, they will always thrive. They've managed to create refuges whose true nature is hidden from the public and which will always welcome them and sustain them. The grants they award to their pet organisations while in office serve another purpose beyond disseminating the state's propaganda. They're meant to ensure these syndicates will all still be in rude financial health when they come knocking on their door for a tidy, per diem contract after politics. Kevin McKenna is a Herald writer and columnist. He is Features Writer of the Year and writes regularly about the working-class people and communities of Scotland
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
'Short break respite care saved my family,' says Harrogate parent
A single parent whose son has complex needs has thanked respite foster carers for "saving my mental health and keeping my family together". Teresa, from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, said without the short breaks with carers that were organised for her youngest son Ryan, who has autism and learning disabilities, he would not have been able to continue living with her."I didn't want Ryan in care at all, I wanted to do it all myself and be a good mother, but if I hadn't had the respite foster care I wouldn't have coped to be honest," she Yorkshire Council said it was looking for dozens of new foster carers in the region. Mother-of-two Teresa, who has anxiety and depression, said she had previously felt "alone and isolated" as a parent. "I didn't have any family support, it's hard enough without a child with additional needs," she said. Fostering North Yorkshire, a not-for-profit organisation, arranged for a short breaks carer to get to know the family. Over a period of four years, the carer looked after Ryan during regular short stays, overnight and day visits."I could sleep properly, I could eat properly, things other people take for granted," Teresa said."It helped me get my energy back to be the best parent for Ryan when he came back."She added: "It restored my confidence and sense of identity - I could be Teresa again."Foster carers are given an allowance to help pay for the child's food and other requirements, but they are also usually paid fees on top, to recognise their time and Appleby, head of placement services for North Yorkshire Council, said: "We are probably looking for about 30 to 40 extra carers, specifically around short term arrangements, at any one time. "All carers are allocated a social worker to support and prepare them and the amount of time a carer offers varies - it might be once a week or more than that."She added: "We're always looking to welcome new carers into the amazing North Yorkshire foster care community." Heather Woolley, 59, who has recently started as a short breaks foster carer, said: "A child might come to me after school for a couple of hours, stay and have tea with me, or they might stay overnight and leave the next morning."Ms Woolley, who is from Scarborough and worked in special education for 16 years, said her experience made her a good match for the role."I've had positive feedback from the families as it's given them the time to spend with other siblings, which they don't normally get to do," she is no set foster carer payment as it depended on a range of factors, North Yorkshire Council said. These include how many children are being fostered, their needs and requirements and the carer's skill set."I'm here today bringing Ryan up, and I don't think that would have happened if I hadn't had this really important, valuable service," Teresa said. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
South Wales Argus
an hour ago
- South Wales Argus
British women running on empty, new research reveals
A national study of 2,006 UK adults by Optibac to mark the launch of their new Optibac Women's Wellbeing supplement has revealed the full scale of the pressures facing women across the UK. The number of men and women in work is closer than ever, with a majority of men (73%) and women (71%) in paid work. Yet, it's the unpaid load that paints a different picture. The majority of women work full time, yet 14% still spend up to 20 hours per week on domestic tasks and household responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, shopping and admin versus only 9% of men. Nearly of of the women surveyed said they covered the bulk of 'invisible labour' (Image: Credit MI / Optibac) Nearly half (49%) of British women say the bulk of 'invisible labour' - things like planning meals, managing the family schedule (e.g. children's activities and clubs, school admin, family trips) and remembering birthdays - falls to them all of the time. Just 1 in 3 (36%) men say the same. With this cumulative mental and physical load, it's perhaps no surprise that nearly a third (32%) of women admit to feeling constantly stressed or on the verge of not coping. Despite doing more, women are sleeping less, with on average British women getting just six hours of sleep per night (29%), compared to the average man who averages 7 hours of sleep (30%). Worryingly, the NHS advises women to get at least 7 hours' sleep per night, yet the data shows on average, women are losing a full night's sleep per week. Data uncovers sleep disruptors for British men and women Sleep habits British Women British Men Experiencing fatigue and tiredness 59% 44% Frequent wakings, difficulty falling asleep and waking too early 50% 35% Hormonal symptoms like night sweats and insomnia 29% 10% The research also found women are shouldering a higher burden of health concerns, with more than half (52%) reporting experiencing anxiety, while two in five (41%) struggle with brain fog and difficulty concentrating. Digestive issues, including bloating, irregularity and IBS, are reported by 29%, with 22% citing skin issues and breakouts and 1 in 5 (21%) reporting hormonal imbalances. Despite this, women are more likely to dismiss their own health concerns, 69% say they've downplayed symptoms due to feeling too busy, compared to just 60% of men. And worryingly, almost half (49%) of women believe men are more likely to be taken seriously when raising a health issue, yet 69% of men don't believe that's true. Supermodel, TV star and Women's Wellbeing advocate, Jodie Kidd said: 'These statistics help scratch the surface of what it's really like to be a woman today with so many things to juggle. "As a mum, fiancée, daughter, sister, carer, business owner and more - there just aren't enough hours in the day to do it all. 'And often, it's those invisible tasks - the school admin, the planning, the taking care of everyone around you - that are the hardest work of all. It's another layer of mental load.' The Women's Wellbeing report further reveals that more than half (55%) of women say they feel guilty when they do take time for themselves, while nearly 2 in 5 (39%) men say they 'never' feel guilty. With a combination of work, home and family, and societal pressures, it's perhaps no surprise that more than half (58%) of British women fantasise about quitting or pausing work and family responsibilities due to burnout compared to 45% of men. Jodie continues: 'It feels like an important time to be talking about the hidden toll on women's health and the findings of Optibac's report, after all, we're only getting busier.' 'And this is why I'm excited about this new supplement Women's Wellbeing, and the difference it can make to women's lives.' Kate Hennessy, Science & Innovation at Optibac, said: 'Our research reveals a stark reality and while it's fantastic to see women winning in the workplace, in 2025 they are under immense pressure, often expected to juggle careers, family, and home life while making it all look effortless.' Recommended reading: 'As a result, many are running on empty, with little time or energy to care for themselves.' 'That's why we developed Women's Wellbeing - one supplement to support energy, mind, immunity, skin, hormones, and the gut microbiome. "It's a multitasking combination of friendly bacteria plus vitamins for the stresses of daily life.'
