A 28-year-old football player and soon-to-be father tragically passed away after collapsing during a football training session with his brother.
Maciej Białas, who had just completed a training session and was visiting his twin brother, suddenly felt unwell and collapsed, losing his pulse. His brother, Mateusz, immediately initiated resuscitation efforts, and there was a glimmer of hope when Maciej’s heart restarted after the incident on Saturday.
Emergency responders swiftly transported him to the hospital, where surgeons successfully removed a clot that had triggered a heart attack. Despite his heart functioning again, prolonged oxygen deprivation to his brain resulted in brain death.
Maciej and his wife, Wiktoria, were expecting a child, with the pregnancy at its fourth month and the unborn child’s gender revealed posthumously as a boy.
His final rites will take place in Gniezno, located east of Poznań, Poland, where Maciej had played for several clubs, including Mieszko Gniezno and seventh-tier team Kolejarz Czeremcha.
Kolejarz Czeremcha paid homage to Maciej, describing him as a beloved son, husband, brother, colleague, and friend, highlighting his dedication and inspiration both on and off the field.
In a separate incident, a father issued a cautionary message to travelers after his son passed away alongside his two boys while en route to Bulgaria.
Chris Neill, aged 40, and his sons, Reece, 20, and Archie, 9, embarked on a journey from Liverpool’s John Lennon Airport to Burgas on September 16 the previous year when Chris suddenly fell ill during the flight. Chris’ parents initiated a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for repatriating his body.
The fundraising efforts exceeded expectations, raising nearly £10,000 surpassing the £15,000 target. On the anniversary of Chris’ demise, his father disclosed that the surplus funds were allocated to a trust for the two boys after repatriating Chris’ remains.
Chris’s father flew to Germany the following day to escort Reece and Archie back to the UK, while he stayed behind in Cologne to handle the formalities with the coroner. Reflecting on Chris’s demise, his father mentioned Chris had believed he was covered by travel insurance through his bank, Halifax, but it had lapsed, causing complications.