Young Portsmouth dad dies on holiday in Cyprus as family thank those that donated to help bring his body home

Ryan Donald, 22, of Drayton, died in Cyprus on Tuesday, October 15 while on holiday with friends, an autopsy revealed he had suffered a blood clot on the brain. It is believed a kickboxing injury was exacerbated by the altitude of the flight and when the father of a four-month-old boy went to bed on the first night, he did not wake up again.

His sister, Georgia Donald, 24, from Paulsgrove, set up a GoFundMe page to help the family pay for Ryan’s body to be brought back home as he did not have insurance. The amount raised at the time of writing is just shy of £10,000 and the family have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity with funds also being used to help cover the funeral costs. Ryan’s body is expected to arrive back in the country this week.

Georgia said: “I want to say a massive thank you to everyone that donated. It really showed us the impact that Ryan had and how much he was loved. It has taken a huge pressure off of my parents (Clive and Cordelia).

“My dad has heart problems as it is so that took a big weight off of his shoulders and maybe prevented something happening to him. The people that donated have saved us.”

Kickboxing was a passion for Ryan and it was something that he hoped to pursue as a career, be it in competing or coaching children. The injury was believed to have been sustained during either a training session or one of his fights.

His death has now left a hole in his family’s life, especially his girlfriend Carmen and their four-month-old son Leyton.

Georgia reflected on what her younger brother was like. She said: “He was inspirational, I know everyone says that, but he really was. He was the youngest of five siblings but he was the one we all looked up to. My son saw him like a brother as I practically lived with Ryan for all of his life.

“Words can’t quite describe how amazing he was, everyone knew him and everyone loved him. You can see that through all of the donations and all of the messages we have received. He left an impact on everyone’s lives. He could make you laugh and smile, even if you didn't want to, he could annoy you into. He was literally a brightness in our lives.”

Georgia added: “He was a role model and he never quit. The doctors in England said they don't understand how he didn't show signs of the injury, he should have been in immense pain and he wasn't, he just kept fighting through it.

“He moaned about little headaches, or what we thought were little headaches, but he just powered through it. He wasn't a complainer. He was so motivational and had so much ahead of him.”

To donate, the GoFundMe page can be found by clicking here.

A further autopsy is expected to take place when Ryan’s body returns to the UK.