Two brothers who were so close they lived in the same block of flats died just four days apart. Chris Rogers, 42, passed away on June 19, days after losing his younger brother Dave Rogers, 37. Both men had appeared healthy just months earlier, but then one fell gravely ill and the other suffered a fatal collapse.
Dave's Sudden Aneurysm
Dave's brother's partner, Claire Louise-Meight, described the sudden onset of Dave's illness: “Dave had an aneurysm out of nowhere. We were having a laugh and a joke with him. Then he just stopped, paused, and dropped. His face drooped and his pupil blew.” She explained that a blood vessel burst in his brain, requiring a 13-hour surgery. “But when he came out of it, he was brain dead. There was nothing more they could do.”
Chris's Health Battle
While the family mourned Dave, Chris was fighting his own health issues. Complications with his liver led to kidney failure. Claire told the Sentinel: “It all started about six months ago. A scan revealed part of Chris’ liver was damaged. They said it would regenerate over time. He was getting bad infections because his liver wasn’t filtering any of the toxins out of his blood. That ended up damaging his kidneys. Because they were both knackered, his body couldn’t get rid of stuff like it needed to. It was slowly poisoning him.”
Chris's condition worsened as fluid built up in his body, leaving him struggling to breathe. Despite signs of improvement, he died less than 24 hours later. Claire said: “We got told that it looked like he was starting to improve. His liver appeared to be healing. If that got sorted, then his body could start looking after itself again. But then he died less than 24 hours later.”
A Family Devastated
Claire described the double loss as surreal: “It’s the worst thing I’ve ever had to go through. Just terrible. Chris died shouting out for his brother. He was never allowed to see his little brother before he passed away, because he was too ill. They never got to say goodbye. I think that just made Chris give up.”
She added: “There was only four days between them. It’s just devastating. How does that even happen? I’ve never experienced a week filled with loss like this before. It’s just surreal. They both seemed fine a few weeks ago and we were all enjoying our normal lives. Now they’ve both just gone in the blink of an eye.”
The Brothers' Close Bond
The brothers were known for their humour and closeness, living just one floor apart. Claire recalled: “Chris was a brilliant, gentle giant. He was my soulmate. He was just an amazingly brilliant man. Everyone Chris met loved him. Because he just loved life. When I put the news that he’d died on Facebook, so many people reached out. Thousands of people commented and reacted to the post.”
She continued: “The pair of them were amazing. They got on like a house on fire. They were so funny, it was unreal. They were forever playing tricks on each other. You couldn’t not sit there and laugh watching them wind each other up. I lived with Chris, and Dave lived in the flat above us. We used to shout up at him and he’d shout back down at us. We had some right laughs.”
Joint Funeral Fundraiser
The family is preparing a joint send-off and has launched an online fundraiser to cover funeral costs. Claire said: “Their mum is absolutely beside herself. Nobody should have to bury a child. Never mind burying two at the same time. Their dad can’t be around anyone at the moment because it’s all just too raw for him. And their older brother just can’t believe he’s lost both of his siblings.”
