Michael Reynolds, 29, visited his local doctor in November 2023 with a sore, swollen throat. He was prescribed nasal spray and antibiotics but collapsed at home hours later. The new dad, from Boston in East England, passed away the next morning from epiglottitis—a dangerous condition that blocks the airway.
His wife Charlotte, now raising their baby son Jacob alone, shared her heartbreak. “Watching Jacob grow up without his daddy by his side is devastating. Michael meant everything to us,” she said.
An inquest later found there had been a “missed opportunity” to send Michael to the hospital for urgent treatment. Post-mortem tests revealed his throat swelling caused a fatal cardiac arrest.
Charlotte now hopes her story will raise awareness. “I’d never even heard of epiglottitis. I wouldn’t want anyone to go through what we have,” she explained.
Michael’s story is a painful reminder of how fast life can change—and why awareness could save lives.
