THE heartbroken widow of a Greenock man who died while on holiday in Spain has thanked the people of Inverclyde for helping to bring her husband home.
Dad-of-seven Andy Haxton, 53, died on August 12 after suffering a cardiac arrest in hospital in Tenerife, the day after he was due to board a flight back to Glasgow.
His wife Annmarie feared she wouldn't be able to get Andy's body home to Greenock but with help from local people, her insurance company, and the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, she managed to get her husband back to Inverclyde.
Read more: Andy Haxton: Family fight to get Greenock man's body home
The insurers Rush Insurance, and their parent company Allianz Partners, said they would meet the cost of bringing Andy's body back home but warned Annmarie may not be covered for any associated expenses.
A fundraising page set up by Annmarie's nephew Mick McDiarmid has raised almost £6,000, and hundreds of pounds have been donated separately by groups and businesses.
All of the support received helped bring Andy back home and allowed Annmarie to begin planning his funeral.
Annmarie, 42, said she will be forever grateful to everyone who has helped her family through a very traumatic time.
She said: "We want to say a huge 'thank-you' to the community of Inverclyde for helping us.
"We've been completely overwhelmed by the support we've received.
"All of the money helped us get Andy home and will help with some of the funeral costs as well."
After Andy died, Annmarie had to stay in Tenerife for another four days and was supported by her brother Ricky who flew out to help.
Her sister Carol looked after the family at home in Greenock.
Andy leaves behind children Andrew (27), Liam (23, not pictured), Jason (19), Ryan (14), Shane (13), Angel (seven), and Colby (three).
He was also grandad to Andrew's son Corey (three).
Annmarie told the Telegraph that the family are still coming to terms with their great loss.
She said: "It still doesn't feel real.
"I keep thinking if they had just let him on the plane, he could have died at home and there wouldn't have been all this stress.
"I think things will start to sink in at the funeral."
Annmarie said local pubs put out buckets for donations to help.
Chaplins donated £400, and the team at Nisa Local in Auchmead Road donated £500.
The ladies at FUNdraising Inverclyde gifted £770, and Andy's son Jason's darts team gave £350.
Annmarie says the total raised shows what a popular man Andy was.
She added: "Andy was really well-liked and all of the support shows us how much he meant to people.
"We're so thankful to everyone who has helped our family."
People can pay their respects to Andy when he is laid to rest at Greenock Crematorium on September 4 at 11am.
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