Tragedy as dad, 28, dies in sleep

5:24am Monday 21st April 2008

A young dad who suffered from severe epilepsy has died suddenly from a suspected fit in his sleep.

Wayne Moss had had the condition since the age of nine and had been hospitalised by severe episodes in the past.

The father-of-one, of Rycroft Avenue, Cottingley, had enjoyed a "perfect day" with his wife but then went to bed early with a cold and a headache. He never woke up.

An inquest has been opened to investigate the cause of Wayne's death. His family suspect he failed to recover from a massive epileptic fit.

Wayne, 28, was unable to work because of his condition and was cared for full-time by his wife Naomi, 30.

The pair had a daughter together - Eleisha, ten - and were due to celebrate their tenth wedding anniversary in May.

Now Naomi is calling for better support to be made available to families who are dealing with epilepsy.

Naomi said: "I haven't just lost my husband, I've lost my soulmate. I wouldn't have swapped him for the world, he was perfect to me.

"He tried so hard to be liked and just wanted to be normal.

"Sometimes he could be a bit in your face but it was because he wanted people to like him."

A Bradford Bulls fan, Wayne grew up in Baildon and attended Glenaire Primary School, then Belmont Middle School before going on to Beckfoot Grammar at Bingley.

Wayne left school at 16 and started a course in car mechanics at Shipley College, but the illness prevented him from completing it.

Wayne's mother, Cath, 48, who also lives in Cottingley, paid tribute to her lovely' son.

Cath said: "He wanted to be liked by everyone and he didn't like having epilepsy.

"He was lovely. I couldn't have asked for a better son. He was very kind and caring."

Naomi is studying for a degree in counselling at Keighley College and now hopes to become a bereavement counsellor.

She said there was not enough help available to support Wayne, or herself as a carer of an epileptic, and wanted to see a support centre built to help people cope with the condition.

"Social services were very good," Naomi said.

"We had a care worker come out and visit us regularly, but there is nowhere for sufferers to go, to get them out and meet other people.

"There must be lots of people in Bradford who suffer with epilepsy and I do not think people recognise it is a killer."

She said she and Eleisha intended to complete a charity walk to raise money for the epilepsy clinic where Wayne was treated in Stoney Ridge Hospital, Bingley.

She said: "I don't want him to have died in vain.

"He won't be just another statistic on a piece of paper."

The funeral is being held today at Nab Wood Crematorium where Naomi is inviting donations to be made out to the epilepsy clinic.