Skip to content
‘I went on a romantic honeymoon with the love of my life – he died just 21 days later’
Samantha Knott, 48, became a widow just three weeks after her honeymoon with the love of her live, 44-year-old Graham Knott – but now his death has saved three other people
A woman who was over the moon after marrying the love of her life in a romantic ceremony was left devastated when her new husband died just 21 days after their honeymoon.
Samantha Knott, 48, enjoyed the happiest day of her life when she tied the knot with her partner, 44-year-old Graham Knott, and the pair jetted off on an extravagant trip to Egypt.
But just days after returning home to Blackpool, Samantha found Graham unresponsive in bed and was alarmed when he started “making funny noises”.
She called 999 and Graham was rushed to Blackburn Hospital, and later to Preston Hosptial, where doctors found he had suffered a haemorrhage and declared him brain dead.
Distraught Samantha wished they had grown old together, but has since found comfort in her organ donor husband’s death saving three other lives.
Do you know someone who has suffered a brain haemorrhage? Let us know in the comments…
Samantha, a cleaner from Blackpool, said: “It all happened so fast – one moment we’re celebrating our new life together, and the next, I was saying goodbye.
“I wish we had more time together, but now I cherish every memory.”
The mum-of-two met Graham on dating app, Flirty Fire, in February 2016, and after nine months of texting the pair arranged to go for fish and chips along the Preston Docks.
After that, the loved-up duo met every weekend for company and socialising.
Samantha said: “He was incredibly charming and very witty. I was annoyed that we waited so long to meet.
“He complimented my smile and made me feel beautiful.”
Just one year after meeting, Samantha had a hysterectomy at Blackpool Hospital after suffering from ”agonising” endometriosis for 27 years.
Graham nursed his girlfriend back to health for three months and even surprised her with a holiday to Kufu, Greece to aid her recovery.
After returning home in September 2017, Samantha left Preston and moved to Blackburn to be with Graham and soon after, in September 2018, he proposed during a trip to Turkey.
But it wasn’t all plane sailing, as in October 2018, Samantha was diagnosed with sepsis after a gallstone caused a major infection in the bladder.
Samantha said: “I felt awful but his proposal made me so happy. I knew I wanted to spend my life with him.”
The couple married at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, with 60 guests, and they headed to Egypt eight months later in December 2019.
They spent nine days together on their romantic honeymoon, where they walked, relaxed and celebrated their marriage.
She added: “The honeymoon was very romantic. We spent quality time together.”
Two weeks after returning home, Samantha headed out to Preston for a friend’s birthday, but when she returned home at one o’clock in the morning, she got into bed with Graham but noticed he was making ”funny” noises.
After turning over, the mum-of-two noticed he looked transfixed and was completely unresponsive.
Samantha said: “I thought he was joking with me. We always played pranks on each other – I never thought he was gone.”
She performed CPR as instructed by 999 before an ambulance arrived to take them both to hospital.
Samantha said: “I just laid in this bed with him. I never wanted to let go.
“Everything was happening so fast, I was in complete shock.
”I didn’t think for one second I’d be a wife for less than a month, it was just so surreal.
”Our time was short, but I loved him for a lifetime. I wished we had longer to grow old.
“I always thought I’d be the one to go first. It all came out of nowhere.”
After his family and close friends had said their goodbyes, Graham, a registered organ donor, was taken to the theatre for donation surgery.
One of Graham’s kidneys was donated to a 60-year-old man, a woman in her fifties received the other, and another man received a life-saving liver transplant.
Samantha was informed that the donations had saved their lives.
Additionally, Graham donated heart tissue, eye tissue, bone and tendons tissue for research.
On St Patricks Day, April 2020, they held Grahamas cremation at Blackpool Crematorium.
Samantha added: “I miss his smile.
“Whenever you needed help he would be there.
“Friends of friends respected him.
“Now he’s continuing to help people with every part of him.
“I’m glad parts of him are helping others like helped me.”
Do you have a story to sell? Get in touch with us at [email protected]
