A dad who was described as a medical marvel after surviving two heart transplants as a teenager has died suddenly at the age of 25.
Adam Allbutt, hit national headlines aged 13 after undergoing life-saving surgery, twice, when his heart failed.
His ordeal led to him being labelled the lion-hearted boy by the press.
Now his devastated family confirmed that Adam tragically passed away on Thursday, leaving behind two young daughters, Maci and Esme.
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After Adams sudden death, friends have launched a campaign to raise £1,000 to help meet the costs of his funeral.
A JustGiving page reads: Adam suddenly lost his life on January 3. This was a massive shock to his family and friends as it was so unexpected.
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He was a fighter from day one after having two heart transplants when he was younger.
This lovely young man needs a send-off he deserves. This page has been created for his family to help with financial costs of his sudden passing.
Medics had first discovered Adams heart was twice the size it should have been with a hole in his aortic valve back in 2007.
After two failed attempts to repair his heart, the only option was a transplant.
However only a week after the first operation, he collapsed from a massive heart attack and was clinically dead for 105 minutes.
He told the Stoke Sentinel back in 2016: That was the point where technically I wasnt coming back, but they didnt give up.
They rushed me into theatre, put me on a machine, and did what they did.
A second heart became available and, against massive odds, Adam survived. Just four months later, he was allowed to return home to Stoke-on-Trent after being treated at Freeman Hospital in Newcastle-upon-Tyne.
Speaking after his second transplant, Adam said: Its difficult to get your head round, the fact youve got someone elses heart in there.
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It was a really traumatic time. I didnt dare go out of the hospital, leave my home, in case I got an infection.
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I just thought I was different to everyone else. That was just me – I wasnt treated differently.
Everyone was a bit wary of me, but I wasnt treated differently.
Following the difficulties he experienced after his transplants, Adam said he had an inner drive, an eye to the future, which took him through the darker periods.
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