This is the heartbreaking moment a comatose father lies next to his newborn daughter he never saw, just days before his life support machine was turned off.
George Fenlon, 23, lay unconscious in hospital for three months after being attacked on a night out in Blackpool, Lancashire, last year.
His partner Beth Turner, 23, was pregnant at the time of the attack and gave birth to their daughter, named Clara Georgia after her father, just two weeks before his death.
While he never regained consciousness, he was able to lie with his daughter in hospital as she was placed in the crook of his arm, and George’s devastated mother Melissa captured the touching moment.
Melissa, 53, said: “Looking back now, I’m not sure how we got through it, the range of emotions we had to go through was horrendous.”
“Beth wanted Clara to meet George and spend some time with him, so she had a C-section and she spent a couple of weeks in the hospital with him, where she saw him every day.
George Fenlon, 23, met his daughter Clara Georgia just days before she was taken off life support.
George’s partner, Beth Turner, 23, wanted Clara to meet her father and spend some time with him, so she had a C-section and spent a couple of weeks in the hospital with him, where she could see everyone. the days.
‘It was important for her to do that because we have memories, we have photographs.
“The hospital did a lot, we also have little prints of Clara and George’s hands together.”
Police were called at around 2am on August 15 last year to a report of an assault on The Strand in Blackpool.
They discovered that George, a bartender at the Revolution Bar, had suffered serious head injuries.
He was rushed to Royal Preston Hospital and placed on a life support machine, but tragically died in hospital on November 22.
During the opening of the inquest it was heard that George collapsed and lost consciousness after the attack. An autopsy found his cause of death to be complications from blunt head trauma.
George died three months after being attacked on a night out in Blackpool, Lancashire.
Beth was heavily pregnant at the time of the attack and gave birth to her daughter, named Clara Georgia after her father, just two weeks before his death.
Rhys Jones, 26, from Cannock, Staffordshire, has been charged with murder and will face trial in June.
Melissa said of the ordeal: “We were all in shock, we weren’t sure what was happening.”
“It was one of his friends who called, he said something had happened but no one was sure what.
“We then heard that George had gone to Royal Preston Hospital and we didn’t know why, but when we got more information we found out he had a serious head injury so Preston was the best place for him.
“His girlfriend was six or seven months pregnant at the time so we were all in shock and when we saw it it was quite horrible.”
Six months after his death, Melissa now hopes to create a lasting legacy for her “fun-loving” son.
While George never regained consciousness, his daughter will at least have pictures with him
George as a child with his mother Melissa, who said she doesn’t know how they got over what happened to her son.
George and his mother Melissa smiling together on their graduation day
She organized a fundraising event in July called ‘The Fenlon Football Funday’ at Stanley Park at the resort, including a football tournament and children’s entertainment.
Melissa said of George: “He just wanted to make people laugh, he was a fun-loving guy and very easy-going, to be honest, nothing really fazed him.”
‘Clara’s favorite TV show is Teletubbies and he was like a big Teletubby I guess, just silly and it’s sad that Clara never experiences that.
‘So the fun day is for Clara and all of George’s friends, to keep his memory alive.
“George was so popular that it would be good for the young people of Blackpool not to be sad and to remember George through Clara.
‘If it is a success this year, I hope it will be an annual event. “It’s exactly what George was, he was a fun-loving guy and he loved football, so it’s what George would have wanted: for everyone to have a good day.”
Revolution Bar, where George worked, will continue the celebrations into the evening and create a cocktail in his name.
All profits will go to Elliot’s Place, a local charity dedicated to supporting young men with their mental health and wellbeing.
Melissa added: “George’s friends have been struggling with his loss so the charity just spoke to me, it made sense.”