Home Australia Fit and healthy Sydney dad Phillip Davies dies suddenly a day after Christmas

Fit and healthy Sydney dad Phillip Davies dies suddenly a day after Christmas

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Phillip Davies, 26, pictured alongside his pregnant wife, tragically died just a day after Christmas.

A healthy and fit father died while out for a run after a suspected heart attack, leaving behind his pregnant wife and two-year-old daughter.

Phillip Davies, 26, his pregnant wife Kat and their two-year-old daughter Millie, were celebrating Christmas with their family in Newcastle.

On Boxing Day, Phillip decided to go for a run around 10pm to try out the Garmin smartwatch his wife bought him for Christmas, while she put their daughter to bed.

At approximately one in the morning, his wife woke up and was worried to discover that her husband had not returned from his run.

His sister Stephanie told Daily Mail Australia that Phillip’s father and sister drove around the dark streets looking for him.

“It was an hour or two before they found him,” Stephanie said.

“He had just collapsed on the side of the road. At that point he had been gone for quite some time.

“It was very, very difficult for Phillips’ father and sister to find him like this because he was not in good condition.”

Phillip Davies, 26, pictured alongside his pregnant wife, tragically died just a day after Christmas.

Kat and Millie are living life without Phillip (pictured), who passed away suddenly due to a suspected cardiac arrhythmia.

Kat and Millie are living life without Phillip (pictured), who passed away suddenly due to a suspected cardiac arrhythmia.

Stephanie explained that Phillip was a very fit and healthy young father who regularly went running with the family dog, a very active German Shorthaired Pointer.

An autopsy revealed that he probably suffered from cardiac arrhythmia, which often goes undiagnosed even in the fittest of people.

Cardiac arrhythmias can cause sudden death when they disrupt the heart’s ability to pump blood.

This causes a lack of oxygen to the brain, which can lead to sudden loss of consciousness and death.

Phillip’s sudden death was a huge blow to his family, and his daughter, who turned two on January 11, is still too young to understand that “dad” wouldn’t be coming home.

“She’s been super fragile,” Stephanie said.

‘If we’ve been dating, she’s with me or her grandmother pretty much 24/7, and when people leave she gets really upset. “He’s worried about people leaving now.”

‘Millie asks ‘Where’s Daddy?’ and my sister would respond “dad’s gone” but then say “it’s okay, I’ll see dad tomorrow” or “I’ll see dad soon.”

Phillip, an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, had a passion for aeronautical engineering and serving his country.

Phillip, an officer in the Royal Australian Air Force, had a passion for aeronautical engineering and serving his country.

Kat's strong faith is helping her overcome this unimaginable loss, believing that one day she will be reunited with Phillip in heaven.

Kat’s strong faith is helping her overcome this unimaginable loss, believing that one day she will be reunited with Phillip in heaven.

Stephanie said her sister was trying to stick together for the sake of her daughter and the couple’s unborn baby.

“She’s still getting sick and exhausted from the pregnancy, and she’s trying to be strong for Millie, which means she hasn’t had much time to grieve,” Stephanie said.

“She says things that break my heart, like the first week she was sitting on the floor crying and saying, ‘I just want to be with Phillip.’

‘Day by day, she finds practical things to do to keep herself busy, and her strong faith has really helped her in many ways. “She really believes that he is in heaven and that she will be able to see him again.”

Phillip joined the Royal Australian Air Force after leaving school and studied aeronautical engineering at university before working as a flying officer.

The Australian Defense Force has provided support to Phillip’s family, including psychologists for Kat and Millie, as well as covering most of his funeral costs.

Stephanie said that while the funeral expenses weren’t “too much of a burden,” her sister had another major expense.

Phillip and Kat recently bought a house in Regents Park, 22 kilometers west of Sydney, and were told by building inspectors that it needed to be renovated or completely rebuilt.

Phillip's passing has left Kat having to balance grief, pregnancy and caring for little Millie, who is still too young to understand why his "dad" doesn't come home

Phillip’s passing has left Kat balancing grief, pregnancy and caring for little Millie, who is still too young to understand why her ‘dad’ isn’t coming home.

Family and friends have rallied to help Kat and Millie through a GoFundMe campaign, helping with everyday expenses and completing renovations on the house that Phillip had started.

Family and friends have rallied to help Kat and Millie through a GoFundMe campaign, helping with everyday expenses and completing renovations on the house that Phillip had started.

“It’s a fixer-upper and currently has no kitchen, no walls upstairs and a bathroom that only has a toilet and a shower head sticking out of the wall,” Stephanie said.

Phillip did most of the renovation work himself, but now that he has passed away, Kat must organize tradesmen to complete the work.

Stephanie started a GoFundMe to help raise money to alleviate Kat’s daily expenses and also help cover the costs of giving the family a home.

He explained that Kat currently had no income after quitting her job in IT.

Wanting a more fulfilling job, she took a 50 percent pay cut to become a teacher’s aide starting in late February, but the job is in “limbo” since she accepted the offer before finding out she was pregnant.

The Australian Defense Force bereavement team also told Kat it would be at least six months before she received Phillip’s life insurance.

Phillip was a healthy young father who loved running with his dog and spending time with his family.

Phillip was a healthy young father who loved running with his dog and spending time with his family.

Phillip's memory lives on in the hearts of his loved ones and his family is determined to honor his legacy.

Phillip’s memory lives on in the hearts of his loved ones and his family is determined to honor his legacy.

“Kat and Millie have been squeezed into mom and dad’s apartment in Zetland,” Stephanie said.

“She really wanted to be very close to her family at the moment, to have people around her all the time, and also close to Phillip’s parents in Strathfield.

‘But with nWithout a guaranteed income during that time, no one can live like this.’

Stephanie said they were grateful for the more than 100 donations they have received so far.

“She’s a little surprised by how generous people are and finds it very touching that people want to help her and Millie,” Stephanie said.

‘Starting GoFundMe was the most I could do to help my sister, she is my little baby. “I love her very much and I am very, very sad that she has to go through this.”

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