Chesterfield community appeals for help after tragic sudden death of dad

These were the words a Derbyshire care team leader was confronted with when she returned home from a 12-hour night shift helping coronavirus patients.

Soni Chacko Thekkedathu, 44, was found lying on the floor with his young children next to him when wife Tintu returned from her shift.

The two children, aged eight and three, have been left devastated by the loss of their father, who was a well-known member of the small Malayali community in the Chesterfield area.

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Family friend Sreekanth Balachandran has now launched an online fundraising campaign and is urging the wider community to help.

“I just can’t imagine anyone to be in that situation – let alone those two little kids and the young mum,” he said.

"This has touched me personally, and has affected the small Malayali community in Chesterfield, who are mostly NHS and other nursing care staff.”

Tintu, 37, who works at Morton Grange Nursing Home, near Alfreton, returned to their home in Morton on Sunday to find her children trying to revive Soni.

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Sreekanth said: “We already knew the family were struggling financially, with only Tintu currently working, and was already struggling to keep up with the bills.

"Close friends are working between us to meet the immediate expenses like the funeral cost and upcoming monthly direct debits.

“We went to meet the family yesterday and spoke to the kids. The poor girl was asking if she could kiss her dad one more time and she had even drawn a picture of a family-of-four and written ‘I love you’ on it.”

It is still not clear what caused Soni’s death but initial hospital reports said it could be due to a ‘fatty liver’.

Sreekanth added: “We, the Chesterfield Malayali community, which is a small group, are helping. But I don’t think that it will be enough for this family, and I am requesting the wider population to generously help and support them.

"Any amount will help to alleviate their immediate financial pressure while they recover from this tragedy.”

Soni’s funeral is to take place on Monday, August 11.

The fundraiser is currently at £6,800. To help, visit the JustGiving page to make a donation.

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