Two brothers from Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, have died within four days of each other, leaving their family heartbroken. Chris Rogers, 42, passed away on June 19, just four days after his younger brother Dave Rogers, 37, died unexpectedly.
Sudden Health Crisis
Dave died suddenly after suffering a brain aneurysm. According to Chris's partner, Claire Louise-Meigh, speaking with The Sentinel: "Dave had an aneurysm out of nowhere. We were having a laugh and a joke with him. Then he just stopped, paused, and dropped. His face drooped and his pupil blew. A blood vessel had burst in his brain. He had to have a 13-hour surgery to try to save his life. But when he came out of it, he was brain-dead. There was nothing more they could do."
Chris's Ongoing Health Battle
Chris had been dealing with his own health issues for about six months. A scan revealed damage to part of his liver, which doctors said would regenerate over time. However, he developed severe infections because his liver was not filtering toxins, which then damaged his kidneys. Claire explained: "Because they were both knackered, his body couldn't get rid of stuff like it needed to. It was slowly poisoning him. Then he started getting really bad problems with excess fluid in his body. It was building up in his legs, his arms, his stomach, and his chest. It was everywhere. He started struggling to breathe."
Despite signs of improvement, Chris died less than 24 hours after being told his liver appeared to be healing. Claire recalled: "We got told that it looked like he was starting to improve. His liver appeared to be healing. If that got sorted, then his body could start looking after itself again. But then he died less than 24 hours later."
Devastating Loss
Claire described the experience as "absolutely awful" and noted that Chris died calling out for his brother. "It's the worst thing I've ever had to go through. Just terrible. Chris died shouting out for his brother. He was never allowed to see his little brother before he passed away, because he was too ill. They never got to say goodbye. I think that just made Chris give up. There was only four days between them. It's just devastating. How does that even happen? I've never experienced a week filled with loss like this before. It's just surreal. They both seemed fine a few weeks ago and we were all enjoying our normal lives. Now they've both just gone in the blink of an eye."
The brothers were known for their cheerful and outgoing natures. Claire added: "Chris was a brilliant, gentle giant. He was my soulmate. He was just an amazingly brilliant man. Everyone Chris met loved him. Because he just loved life. When I put the news that he'd died on Facebook, so many people reached out. Thousands of people commented and reacted to the post. The pair of them were amazing. They got on like a house on fire. They were so funny, it was unreal. They were forever playing tricks on each other. You couldn't not sit there and laugh watching them wind each other up. I lived with Chris, and Dave lived in the flat above us. We used to shout up at him and he'd shout back down at us. We had some right laughs."
Joint Funeral and Fundraiser
The family is planning a joint send-off for the brothers and has set up an online fundraiser to help cover the unexpected costs. Claire said: "Their mum is absolutely beside herself. Nobody should have to bury a child. Never mind burying two at the same time. Their dad can't be around anyone at the moment because it's all just too raw for him. And their older brother just can't believe he's lost both of his siblings."
The GoFundMe page has been established to support the family during this difficult time.
