Firefighter Dad Thought To Be Suffering Gallstones Dies 3 Months After Wedding
September 26, 2018
Dean Patten's widow describes him as a hero. Not just for how the brave firefighter lived his life. But also for how the father-of-two faced his death when suspected gallstones turned out to be something far more deadly -- pancreatic cancer.
Father-of-two Dean Patten died on September 14, 2018, at the age of 45. His death came as a devastating shock to friends and family who described Dean as a true "family man" with a "lust for life."
RELATED: Dad’s Final Moments Caught In Photo Just Before He Loses Life Saving Son
Dean's widow, Nicola, says Dean could never sit still. He was always on the move and couldn't do enough for anyone. So, when his health declined so abruptly, it must have come as a big surprise.
Suspected Gallstones Lead To Devastating Diagnosis
Dean, from Somerset, England, headed to the doctor when he noticed he'd become jaundiced. The doctors suspected gallstones as the culprit behind his yellowish coloring. They performed an ultrasound to confirm.
But that's when something far more serious presented itself.
Dean's problem was actually the result of pancreatic cancer, which sadly had already spread to his liver. After the shocking diagnosis, delivered in April 2018, doctors gave Dean just six to eight months left to live.
RELATED: Pancreatic Cancer Stage 3 Diagnosis Has Dad Fighting to Stay in Daughter’s Life
It's the kind of news that puts everything into perspective. But what's amazing is the positive way the 45-year-old embraced his death.
Dean, affectionately called Deano by friends, was a father to Eleanor, 12, and Max, 6. He'd spent the previous 6 years proudly serving as a firefighter, a job he loved.
"He didn't have a bucket list and said he had no regrets with the life he had led," Nicola said.
There was only one thing left to do before he left this world. Marry the love of his life.
Dying Firefighter Says 'I Do'
Nicola and Dean met and fell in love in 2002. And after 16 beautiful years together, Dean wanted to make sure Nicola became his wife before he died.
RELATED: Nurses Help Grant A Dying Man’s Wish To Marry The Love Of His Life
Friends and family helped pull things together. And in June 2018, Nicola and Dean enjoyed "the most amazing wedding."
Just a few months later, things took a turn for the worst.
In July, Dean came down with pneumonia. The illness left him so weak, they couldn't move forward with the chemotherapy planned. And by the end of August, Dean's condition only continued to deteriorate. He was so weak, doctors put him in hospice care in early September and he was gone soon after.
A Life Well-Lived
Nicola announced her husband's passing in a moving tribute on Facebook.
"Dean was my everything and throughout his short battle with cancer he showed us all the hero he really was," she said.
Messages of condolences and support poured in for Dean's grieving widow, which Nicola said meant the world to her. So many shared memories of what an incredible role model Dean was while alive. And the beauty of a life well-lived is that no matter when or how it ends, it leaves behind a legacy of inspiration for others.
We're told in James 4:14 that our life is just a mist, appearing for a little while and then vanishing. The key (and often our struggle) is to make the most of each and every day. What an inspiration Dean is for doing just that!
And thanks to the saving love of Jesus Christ, our death here on earth is not the end.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Man Ignored Pain for Years But Then Has Over 4,000 Gallstones Removed In Surgery
" 'Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 15: 55-57
h/t: Daily Mail
Featured Image Credit: SomersetLive
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Those Who Are Lonely or Isolated This Christmas - Your Daily Prayer - December 23
This Christmas, remember how precious you are to the Creator. Remember that there is nothing you can do or say that would ever separate His presence and love from you. It’s okay to go through Christmas feeling alone and isolated, but make sure you turn to God to fill those feelings of loneliness.
Past Stories
- Husband Decorates His Neighbors' Homes For Wife Who Loves Christmas
- Couple Befriend Older Neighbor After Hearing Music Coming From His Apartment
- California Man Carpools With Adult Children On His Very Last Day of Work Before Retirement
- Family of Three Grows To Seven Overnight With Birth of Quadruplets
- The World's Oldest Dog Spike the Chihuahua Turns 25 Years Old
- Christmas Tree Planted Back in 1979 Inspires and Unites a Small English Village
- Dick Van Dyke Turns 99 After Evacuating From a Wildfire and Welcoming His Lost Cat Back Home
- Santa and Mrs.Claus Continue to Spread Christmas Magic Even With Santa's MS Diagnosis
- Little Girl Gets a Big Elf On the Shelf Surprise Honoring the Little Brother Who Passed Away
- Little Boy From England With Leukemia Delivers Over 400 Christmas Gifts To Kids At the Hospital
- Gold Star Family Receives a Big Surprise That Will Change Their Lives Forever
- 8-Year-Old With Down Syndrome Is a Hero After Saving Sister From House Fire
- Man Paralyzed At 17 While Snowboarding Has Found True Love and a Wonderful Life
- His Wife Passed Away, Now Their Special Tree is the 2024 Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree
- Granddaughter Captures Last Words Between Grandparents, Married For 69 Years
- New York State Police Rescue Woman Needing a Heart Transplant Stranded in Snowstorm
- Born the Same Year the Titanic Sank, World's Oldest Man Dies at 112
- Family Receives Support From School and Community After Losing House in a Fire
- Soldier Reunites With His Military Dog Yyacob After Years Apart
- Chicago Man Discovers That The Owner Of The Bakery He Loved To Visit Was Actually His Mother
- Husband Pays For 40 Pet Adoptions At Shelter For His Wife's 40th Birthday
- Parents Find Healing After Loss of Son By Donating His Beloved Key Collection To Little Boy
- Mom Dances With Son At His Wedding After Being Placed in Hospice Care 2 Weeks Before
- Grandmother and Young Granddaughter Battling Cancer At the Exact Same Time
- Community Brings Christmas Joy to Virginia Woman With Just Weeks to Live
- Four Friends Recreate A Fun Vacation Photo From 50 Years Ago
- School in Arkansas Mourns the Loss of Their Beloved Emotional Support Dog Abby
- 93-Year-Old Has Made Sure To Attend Every High School Football Game Since 1946
- Texas Mom Doesn't Remember Delivering Triplets After Rare Complication After Birth
- United Airlines Pilot Buys Pizza For 155 Passengers After They Make An Unexpected Stop
- Teenager With Down Syndrome Enjoys Playing Kickball After Parents Organize Neighborhood Game
- Woman in Shock After Finding Winning Lottery Ticket At the Bottom of Her Purse
- Australian Couple Walks Into Their Bedroom To Find the Cutest Koala
- 5 Boys and Their Father Were Saved By Good Samaritan After Explosion
- Daughter of WWII Soldier Finally Learns What Happened To Him, 80 Years Later
- Sisters Scream With Joy Watching Their 4-Year-Old Sister Take Her First Steps
- Her Mom Put a Message in a Bottle As a Child, 26 Years Later Her Classmate Found It
- This Missouri School Was Renamed After Their Much Loved and Dedicated Custodian
- Michael Strahan's Daughter is Now Cancer Free and Has Taught Him All About Perseverance
- These Two Newlyweds Found Love in Their Late 90s, After Meeting At Their Retirement Home
- Sisters Who Were Adopted By Separate Families Nearly 40 Years Ago Reunite After DNA Tests
- Oldest Living Person in the US Passes Away at 115, After a Long and Faithful Life
- At Just 20 and 22 Years Old, These Two Sisters From Minnesota Saved Their Family Farm
- After Over 450 Days in a Shelter, Boone and Rellie Find Their Forever Home, Together
- Sweet Kitten Named Coraline Loses Both Her Eyes, but Inspires Many with Her Spirit
- Donny Osmond Sees the 'End of the Tunnel' Coming After Performing for Over 6 Decades
- An Iguana Hitches a Ride on a Garbage Truck in Tennessee, Now Trying to Find Its Owner
- 6-Year-Old Starts 'Poop Scooping' Business to Help Animals and Adopt One of His Own
- Bride's Dad Drops During Father-Daughter Dance, but Things Lined up Perfectly to Save His Life
- Young North Carolina Father Risked His Life To Save a Couple and Dog From a Sinking Truck
Top Music Videos
The Statler Brothers 'Til the Storm Passes By' The Statler Brothers Live Performance
Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp 'Ready Now' Powerful Official Music Video
Riley Clemmons Riley Clemmons - All Is Well
Mark Schultz 'Different Kind of Christmas' - Live From Mark Schultz
Brad Stine Has Issues Brad Stine’s Hysterical Take on Adam Naming the Animals is Pure Gold
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.