Heartbreaking Moment as Father Meets Baby Daughter Before Tragic Death at 23
In a poignant and tragic moment, George Fenlon, a 23-year-old father from Blackpool, met his newborn daughter for the first time shortly before his untimely death. George had been in a coma since being severely injured in an attack during a night out in Blackpool, as reported by Daily Record.
His partner, Beth Turner, also 23, was heavily pregnant at the time of the attack. She gave birth to their daughter, Clara Georgia, named in honor of her father, just two weeks before George’s passing. Although George never regained consciousness, he was able to meet his daughter in the hospital before the decision was made to switch off his life support. This touching moment was captured by George’s devastated mother, Melissa, via Sky News.
“Looking back now, I’m not sure how we all got through it, the range of emotions we had to go through was horrendous,” Melissa recounted. “Beth wanted Clara to meet George and have a little bit of time with him, so she had a C-section and spent a couple of weeks in the hospital with him, seeing him every day. It was important because we’ve got memories, we’ve got pictures. The hospital did a lot; we’ve also got little prints of Clara’s and George’s hands together.”
The tragic incident occurred on August 15 last year, when police were called at around 2 am to a report of an assault at The Strand in Blackpool. George, a bartender at Revolution Bar, had suffered severe head injuries. He was rushed to Royal Preston Hospital and placed on a life support machine. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries and died on November 22. A post-mortem examination revealed that the cause of death was complications of blunt head trauma.
“We were all in shock, we weren’t sure what was happening,” Melissa continued. “It was one of his friends who phoned, saying something had happened, but no one was sure what. Then we heard George had gone to Royal Preston Hospital, and we didn’t know why. 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 that time, so we were all just in shock, and when we saw him, it was pretty horrific.”
Six months after George’s death, Melissa is working to create a lasting legacy for her “fun-loving” son. She has organized a fundraising event in July called ‘The Fenlon Football Funday’ in Stanley Park, featuring a football tournament and kids’ entertainment.
“He just wanted to make people laugh; he was a fun-loving guy and very easygoing, nothing really fazed him to be honest,” Melissa said. “Clara’s favorite TV show is Teletubbies, and he was like a big Teletubby, just daft. It’s sad that Clara will never experience that. The fun day is for Clara and all of George’s friends, to keep his memory alive. George was just so popular that it’ll be nice for the youngsters of Blackpool not to be sad, but instead remember George through Clara. If it’s a success this year, I’m hoping it will be an annual event. It’s just what George would have wanted—for everyone to have a nice day.”
Revolution Bar, where George worked, will continue the celebrations in the evening, creating a cocktail in his name. All proceeds will go towards Elliot’s Place, a local charity dedicated to supporting young men with their mental health and well-being. “George’s friends have been struggling with his loss, so the charity just spoke to me, it made sense,” Melissa added.