Last updated 09:51, Monday, 06 October 2008

THE widow of a Wylam man who died suddenly last week after helping mop up during recent floods has sought to dispel fears he had contracted a rare infection through flood water.

Forty-seven-year-old fa-ther of two Adrian Ward died of multiple organ failure within days of being taken to hospital with severe flu-like symptoms.

Doctors investigated the possibility he was suffering from Weil’s disease, which can be transmitted through water containing the urine of rats or other wild animals.

Normally, symptoms begin between seven and 12 days after infection and it was noted that Adrian, of Holeyn Hall Road, had helped in the aftermath of recent floods in Wylam.

His widow, Rowena, however confirmed that blood tests had since been analysed and that Weil’s disease had been ruled out. The results of a postmortem are still pending.

“We know he died suddenly after contracting an infection, but we don’t know what that infection is,” she said.

“His organs failed, but we don’t know what made that happen, and might never know.

“Whatever it was, however, is extremely unusual – it’s not something that happens on a daily basis.

“It’s just a very sad thing to happen to a really, really good guy.”

Adrian, Rowena, their two-year-old daughter Rhiannon, and five-month-old son Gavin had been holidaying in Derbyshire when Adrian’s symptoms began.

His condition became progressively worse as they travelled home to Wylam on Friday, September 19, and by the Saturday, Rowena was so concerned she contacted NHS Direct.

“He couldn’t even keep water down and I was worried about him being really dehydrated,” she said.

“It got to the point where I had to take him to emergency care at Hexham on Saturday night, where he was stabilised before being taken by ambulance to Wansbeck critical care unit in the early hours of Sunday.

“They took a lot of blood tests, testing him for various infections to determine what treatment to give him.

“But in the end his body couldn’t hang on long enough and he died on Tuesday night at eight o’clock.”

Adrian, who is originally from Middlesbrough, had been living in Wylam for 10 years. He and Rowena married there in 2001 at St Oswin’s Church.

He had worked in IT with Northern Rock until being made redundant – a situation he was content with in the short term.

“He had been looking forward to having a bit of time – he thought it was nice he could be there with the children when they were little,” said Rowena.

“They were his number one priority. He couldn’t get home fast enough at night to spend time with them.”

Adrian was well known in Wylam and supported local organisations such as the playing fields association.

In 2003, he worked with local parish councillors on the village plan, and had been intending to help refurbish the village’s Falcon Centre, a project currently being organised by Wylam playgroup, which Rhiannon attends.

“He believed in being involved in village life, which is why so many people knew him here,” said Rowena.

The family will be attending a service at Mountsett Crematorium in County Durham today.

This will be followed by thanksgiving service at St Oswin’s at 2pm, to which family, friends and neighbours are invited.

Donations will be collected in Adrian’s memory to support children’s facilities in Wylam.