Retford woman's shock as she discovers she is pregnant days after partner dies

The due date falls on what would have been 41-year-old Jason's birthday

A woman has described her shock at finding out she was pregnant days after her partner suffered three heart attacks and died. Caroline Ramsay, 40, had been due to marry her partner of five-and-a-half years on Bonfire Night.

Tragically Jason Ramsay, 41, collapsed in the middle of the road in Retford and died on October 10. Jason, who had previously contracted coronavirus three times, had complained in the early afternoon that he was suffering from heartburn.

This pain failed to disappear despite the use of paracetamol and acid medications, so Jason went to the nearby shop to purchase some aspirin. It was as Jason was returning home from the Morrison's garage on Moorgate that he collapsed whilst standing on the central reservation waiting to cross.

Jason already had a 17-month-old daughter with Caroline, called Paignton. The grief was heightened when Caroline was informed on Monday (October 14) that she was pregnant.

Caroline said: "I was shocked and thinking to myself, was this a gift from Jason? The due date is actually on what would have been Jason's birthday, June 4.

"There was loads of stuff going around my head. I had a miscarriage three months ago so I wasn't expecting this at all, but Jason didn't get the chance to find out, which really saddens me."

Jason had previously worked as an Amazon delivery driver and was said to be in relatively good physical health before his death. A full post-mortem investigation is having to be carried out to determine whether Jason had any underlying health conditions.

Describing the moment of his death, Caroline said: "My sister told me that it looked like a kid had been knocked over. I told her to go and look but she couldn't see because of all the people surrounding him.

"I had a really bad gut feeling that it was something to do with Jason and so I ran outside because he was literally a minute away from where we lived. Every time I go outside the house now, all I see is Jason in the road. It's horrible."

Jason suffered his first heart attack in the middle of the road before being taken inside an ambulance, where paramedics worked on him for 48 minutes. After suffering another two heart attacks, the decision was made that Jason would not survive.

Jason was due to take Caroline's surname at their wedding on November 5, but preferred the Ramsay surname anyway given that he was abandoned by his own family aged 16. Caroline said: "What really saddens me is that we were building up our own lives together, we were all he had."

Caroline has thanked all the people in Retford who tried to save Jason, but is now worried about the cost of the funeral. Now a single mum, and with another baby on the way, Caroline fears she will not be able to afford the send off her partner deserves.

Having been told that a funeral will cost around £4,000, even without flowers and with just one car, a fundraiser has now been launched. Caroline added: "Jason would have helped anybody. He would have given someone his last pound, that's just how he was." Those wishing to donate towards the funeral can do so here.