Family are left heartbroken by children’s deaths

A DEVASTATED family have been left heartbroken after losing three children and an unborn grandchild in the space of three years.

Married couple of 15 years Keith and Elaine Llewellyn have both lost a child in recent weeks.

Mrs Llewellyn’s daughter Jessica Cowdery died suddenly aged 26 on November 22.

Little more than two weeks later, Mr Llewellyn’s 25-year-old son Dai Llewellyn was found dead on December 8 at an address on Tondu Road in Bridgend.

It comes after Mrs Llewellyn’s daughter Amy died aged 26 of natural causes three years ago, when she was three-and-a-half months pregnant.

Mr Llewellyn, from Caerau, said Dai – who has a young son – was someone who “loved life too much”.

Mr Llewellyn said: “Dai was troubled. He had low esteem of himself – he was troubled.

“But he was brought up to have a lot of care for people in his life.

“He always had this insecurity when he left school, and certain things happened in his life. But in the last month or two it seems to be a lot worse for him, and when Jess passed away it ruined him.”

Dai was born in Tondu and was living in a bedsit at the time of his death.

Mr Llewellyn, now living in Maesteg, said: “When I found out the news with Dai I could not believe it.

“He loved life so much and any excuse to be happy and have a party he would take.

“Because he was such a loner and if he could make fun then he would go for it. He loved life too much.”

He added: “I looked on Facebook and I saw all these broken hearts. I didn’t want to hear the words.

“I drove straight to Bridgend as quick as I could, and it felt like two hours, and I saw the police tape sealed across the doors.

“It was not the best way to find out about it, of course.

“Luckily there was no more about it on Facebook.”

Mr and Mrs Llewellyn have 13 grandchildren between them in their “very close family” and often looked after Dai and Jessica’s children at weekends.

Mr Llewellyn said: “It has torn my wife apart. I could never feel how she felt but now since it’s happened to me I can’t understand how she’s been so strong for me.

He added: “They [Jessica and Dai] were so close. If anything, people thought that they were that close and fun loving they were more like brother and sister.”

Mum-of-one Jessica, who worked as a dental nurse, died on November 22, aged 26.

Mr Llewellyn added: “Jessica was fun loving, [a] party animal and again she was so troubled as well.

“You knew that if the phone rang at 3am in the morning that you would either have to say ‘hello Jessica or hello David.’”

South Wales Police said that both deaths are not being treated as suspicious and separate inquests will be held in February.

Dai’s funeral is to be held on Monday, December 18, just a few weeks from what would have been his 26th birthday on January 10.

Dai’s girlfriend, Amber Louise Knight, previously said: “He was my best friend and my lover and everyone’s heart [is] broken.”

Crowdfunding pages for both Jessica and Dai have been set up by family friend Alisha Harris to help with funeral costs.

Alisha, 28, from Bridgend, said: “Jess comes from such a genuinely lovely caring family who have been shattered by not only losing Jess but Jess’ sister Amy a few years back.

“Nobody deserves to go through this. I just want to help as much as I can with funeral costs.”