Young father-of-two Eli Eyb, 32, died after catching a common illness at his son’s birthday party. Now his family are asking why paramedics wouldn’t bring him in
A father of two who died of influenza aged 32 has been remembered as an “exuberant man with a heart of gold” and his family say he would still be alive if emergency services had taken him to hospital.
Eli Eyb, 32, was confined to bed for a week after contracting the common disease influenza A at his son’s seventh birthday party on the second weekend of July.
His family thought he was improving after emergency services told him the worst was over when they visited him at his home in the Hunter Region of New South Wales on Friday morning, July 19.
But Mr Eyb’s partner, Skye, was shocked when she discovered he had died in his sleep two days later on Sunday morning. She was unable to wake him.
NSW Ambulance has now launched an investigation.
“He loved his children and his wife so much,” Eli’s father, Neil, told Daily Mail Australia.
“He was an outgoing man with a heart of gold. It must be a very big funeral.
“He used to play football as a kid and had all these football friends. He liked motorbikes. He liked fast cars.”
Eli Eyb, 32, was confined to bed for a week after contracting influenza A at his son’s seventh birthday party on the second weekend of July (pictured with his partner Skye and son Seth)
His family thought he was getting better after paramedics told him he was past the worst when they visited him on Friday morning in the Hunter Region of NSW. But the devoted father died two days later
Neil relived the horror of discovering that his son had died that night.
“His partner wasn’t sure because she was shaking him and thought he was fast asleep,” he said.
“But then she realized his eyes were open and he was cold.”
Neil, who was a registered nurse for 40 years, said his son worked with carved stone for many years before switching to training as a cabinetmaker after suffering lung damage.
“His wife told me that when he came home from work he was covered in the white silica dust from the granite,” Neil added.
‘He wouldn’t hug his children until he had showered and cleaned up because the stuff was all over his beard and clothes.
“He didn’t want his family to be exposed to this dust.”
In Australia, a ban on engineered stone, often referred to as ‘modern asbestos’, came into effect on July 1 after a rise in silicosis diagnoses in people working with worktops, boards and panels.
Silicosis is a type of lung disease caused by inhaling small particles of silica. These particles are often sprayed into the air when cutting artificial stone.
Eli’s father, Neil, said his son’s lungs were damaged after three years of working with artificial stone, which is now banned in Australia.
Mr Eyb was due to marry his partner Skye next year, on their tenth wedding anniversary, and the couple were planning to honeymoon in Japan (the couple are pictured together)
“When my son was working there cutting the granite, there was no personal protective equipment, nothing,” Neil added.
‘Last year he was really struggling with his lungs, having trouble breathing and things like that.
“He’s had scans done and everything done, and as far as I can tell, they found black dots on his lungs.”
However, Neil said the coroner’s report made no mention of the possible role silicosis played in his son’s death.
“His lungs were full of gunk and he had a bad throat infection,” Neil added.
“So I understand that he drowned in his own fluids.”
With forty years of experience as a nurse, Neil believes his son should have been hospitalized.
‘The fact that the emergency services did not determine that he had pneumonia to the point where he was ill and did not tell him that he was fine, that he would get better, is wrong.
‘You can tell if someone has pneumonia by listening to the back of their chest, but I don’t know if that’s true.
Mr Eyb was remembered as an ‘exuberant man with a heart of gold’ (pictured with his young family)
“If they had taken him, he would still be alive.”
A spokesperson for NSW Ambiance said the organisation “extends its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Eli Eyb”.
“The safety of our patients is always our top priority,” they added.
‘An internal investigation is ongoing and we will contact Mr Eyb’s family as this investigation progresses.
“As the matter is still under investigation, it is not appropriate to comment further at this time.”
Mr Eyb was due to marry his partner Skye next year, on their tenth wedding anniversary, and the couple were planning their honeymoon to Japan.
Skye plans to change her surname to his to become a “full member of the family”, according to Mr Eyb’s father.
He is survived by a 7-year-old son, Seth, and a 5-month-old daughter, Ingrid.
a GoFundMe Pagefounded by Neil’s wife and Mr Eyb’s stepmother, Lynell Eyb, has so far raised more than $8,000 for his funeral expenses.
“Losing a husband and father so unexpectedly is something that will never heal,” Mrs. Eyb wrote.
This family will never be the same without him, and neither will anyone who had the pleasure of knowing him.
“He was so incredibly kind, caring, crazy and fun and loving and hardworking. He worked so hard every day of his life to provide for his family that he loved so much.”
It is not the first tragedy to hit the heartbroken family.
Five years ago, Mr Eyb’s older brother died of a drug overdose in Sydney.