Family and friends bid sad farewell to 'gentle giant'

By ALISON HORWOOD

Sandra Bennett and her husband, Dan Popham, donated blood three times in a desperate 50-hour bid to keep their critically ill friend, John Fitzgerald, alive in southern Egypt.

For three hours, the New Zealand couple drove the dying 28-year-old through the desert between hospitals in Aswan and Luxor, constantly rubbing his feet to boost circulation as the deadly meningococcal septicaemia took hold.

Despite their efforts, the former Wellington architect, who was holidaying with the couple, died in an air ambulance en route to Austria on December 30.

Yesterday, at a celebration of Mr Fitzgerald's life, his father, Mike, said Dr Bennett and Mr Popham, a fellow architect, had gone through "nothing short of hell" during his son's last two days.

"They did everything they could and it was nothing short of hell. I would like to publicly thank them and acknowledge them as heroes."

Mr Fitzgerald sen said there were issues surrounding his son's death, but the day at the Manakau Hall, near Levin, yesterday was just "John's Day."

The family said earlier that incompetence by Egyptian medical authorities had contributed to Mr Fitzgerald's death and he had been let down by his travel insurer, American Express.

Friends and family yesterday read witty e-mails from the Victoria University graduate, described as a gentle giant who loved music, electrical gadgets, and the comedies Southpark and The Young Ones.

For more than a year, Mr Fitzgerald had been living in London with his sister, lawyer Sally.

His mother, Norva Fitzgerald, said she was thankful the family had enjoyed a holiday together in Barcelona last October.