Hereford family pay heartfelt tribute to Ross-on-Wye dad

The Parker family gathered at Ross-on-Wye rugby club to celebrate the life of Karl Parker with a special event.

Mr Parker's six children, Lisa, Aaron, Kelvin, Wesley, Kelly and Brett, and his partner Deborah, wanted to raise awareness of sepsis, the illness that tragically took his life.

An old family photo of the Parkers (Image: Sepsis Research Feat)

Mr Parker was a big football fan, so on March 30, his loved ones held a football match in his honour.

Mr Parker's friends and family faced off against each other in his memory and raised a total of £2,489 for the charity Sepsis Research Feat.

The teams played brilliantly on the match day (Image: Lisa Parker)

Mr Parker, who was from Hereford but later lived in Ross-on-Wye, died at Hereford County Hospital in September 2023 after a battle with sepsis, which is a serious and life-threatening reaction to infection.

His daughter Lisa Parker said: "My dad was a 61-year-old man from Hereford, but lived in Ross-on-Wye for years. 

"My dad was the kindest man, just simply the best. He is sadly missed by us all.

"Dad was an Elvis fan and went to an Elvis festival every year in Wales. He was a Leeds United supporter and also used to play football."

Karl Parker with two Elvis impersonators (Image: Sepsis Research Feat)

Mr Parker's loved ones chose to host a football match in his honour at the end of March, with the match having a final score of 1 - 0 to the "Sepsis Superstars".

Miss Parker said: "I was surprised with how many people showed up and really supported the day for our dad. It was a great family day for all. Both teams played amazingly and did my dad very proud.

"The day was just perfect. My dad would have been watching over feeling very proud of us all. It was an emotional day with lots of laughter and tears.

"Before the match, my dad's grandkids all let off a balloon on the pitch for their grandad with everyone there applauding and showing respect for our dad. We could see how much my dad meant to a lot of people which gave us great joy.

"I will continue to help spread awareness of sepsis and also keep working to help raise money to honour our dad who we love and miss very much.

"We are so pleased we could raise what we did. We appreciate everyone who supported us and made donations for such a great cause."

Mr Parker's grandchildren released balloons in his memory (Image: Lisa Parker)

Miss Parker said that until her father contracted a leg infection in 2023, he was otherwise healthy.

Three weeks later, he was found sleepy and unresponsive in his home and was rushed to hospital. He had a very high temperature and heart rate.

Sadly Mr Parker never regained consciousness and, after a two-week battle in intensive care, he suffered organ failure and died.

Karl Parker with his daughter Lisa (Image: Sepsis Research Feat)

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The key sepsis symptoms to look out for are a high or low temperature, shivering, confusion, passing little urine and blotchy or cold arms and legs.

Someone suffering with sepsis might not show all of these symptoms at once. On their own, some of these symptoms can be an indication of other health problems, but a combination of two or more, becoming progressively worse, means medical attention is urgently needed.

Sufferers of suspected sepsis should call 999 or go straight to their nearest accident and emergency unit.