Dad’s body flown home with no heart after sudden death on holiday

A woman whose husband died suddenly on a family holiday in Cyprus last summer has said the family are still without answers after his body was sent back to the UK with no heart.

Michael Graley, 76, complained of leg cramp before his condition deteriorated rapidly.

He was rushed to hospital after being found collapsed in the early hours of August 16, but he was declared dead shortly after arrival.

Michael’s widow Yvonne, from Oldham, said her husband ‘was a man with a really big heart and now he hasn’t got one’.

She added: ‘I don’t know why he’s not here. I haven’t got a clue why he’s not here.’

Michael’s body was flown back to the UK after the family told authorities in Cyprus they didn’t want a post-mortem examination carried out there.

But they later got a call from Rochdale Coroners’ Court saying his heart was missing, meaning they were unable to determine a cause of death.

Local reports quoted police in Cyprus as saying a post-mortem was conducted and that Michael’s heart had been sent off for further analysis.

Yvonne said: ‘We need some answers and we need to know what was wrong with the heart.

‘It’s killing us. I’ve got to get some answers from somewhere.

‘He was a man with a really big heart and now he hasn’t got one. We’ve had to have a funeral without it.’

An inquest into Michael’s death was opened this week by assistant coroner Matthew Cox.

Police coroners officer Megan Seddon said: ‘His GP said he was free to travel.

‘He was receiving treatment for a heart condition. He became unwell on holiday. His health deteriorated and he died on August 16.’

The court did not hear further details about Michael’s condition or the medication he was on.

After the hearing, Yvonne told the Manchester Evening News her husband had been told by doctors he had an elevated heart rate.

The inquest was adjourned until August 16.

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