British man dies after contracting dengue fever in Sri Lanka

COLOMBO — Colin Whiteside, a 52-year-old British man has died after contracting dengue fever while in Sri Lanka, England’s Metro newspaper reported on Sunday.

The Metro reported that Whiteside, a father of two, who was born in Wavertree, but lived in Preston, was taken to hospital after suffering a mosquito bite. His wife flew to be at his bedside.

Given below are excerpts from the Metro report; “However, while in hospital, the 52-year-old developed pneumonia and sepsis and suffered a catastrophic stroke which left him paralyzed and only able to blink.

On Sunday, on Facebook, wife Caroline paid tribute to her husband. The post reads: ‘Last night you spread your wings and now you’re flying free.

‘Goodnight My Boy I will Love You Forever.’

Devastated daughter Michelle Green previously said her dad, who worked as a scaffolder all over the world, was due to come home permanently before the tragedy.

After he was hospitalized friends and family launched a Crowd funding page in a bid to fly him home, and raised almost USD 42,202.

An update on the page, posted this morning, thanked everyone for their contributions and confirmed Colin had been flown home to the UK on Tuesday.

‘I would like to say a massive thank you from the bottom of my heart and from Colin’s family to all you wonderful people who donated to bring Colin home.

‘Colin landed back in the UK on Tuesday and without your help this wouldn’t have been possible. ‘These days there is so much negative things in the world, what people have done restores my faith in how fantastic and caring people can be thank you every single one of you.’

Daughter Michelle, 37, previously said her father was expected to make a full recovery after the bite.

However after suffering the stroke, on July 14, which she said ‘came out of the blue’, he was left on life support and needing a tracheotomy.

She said: ‘Just the thought of him being aware of what is happening, but is unable to do anything for himself is just the worst thing that can ever happen to someone.

‘It feels surreal; you don’t expect it to happen to your family.

‘You read about these stories but don’t ever think it will happen to you.’