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A father-to-be who battled for eight years with his partner to have a baby died "unexpectedly" whilst on an anniversary getaway with his pregnant fiancée. 34-year-old Dean Potter, and his fiancée , Zoe Adams, 31, had travelled to Haven Caister-on-Sea holiday park in Norfolk to mark their 11-year anniversary in September 2025. The pair had recently discovered Zoe was 11-weeks pregnant, despite "struggling" to conceive for eight years. Zoe said retail manager Dean, who had no known health issues, "looked perfectly fine" before she was woken up by a loud bang at 2am on their final evening before going home. She found Dean had collapsed onto the floor from the bed of their caravan and instantly began CPR whilst calling an ambulance, but before he could be transported to hospital, Dean died on September 26, 2025. A post-mortem examination two weeks later revealed Dean's left ventricle had failed due to heart disease that was "unknown to him and his family." Zoe, who provides full-time care for her mum, from Norwich, Norfolk, said: "It was one of the most romantic trips - and we were both having such a great time. There was a lot to celebrate. After eight years of trying, we were finally expecting, and it was our 11th anniversary to top it all off. Dean seemed perfectly fine the entire time." The pair had booked the break from September 23 to 26 and enjoyed dinner dates and "romantic" seaside strolls whilst on holiday. Zoe said: "We went to every Haven show at night, played snooker and never missed a sunset." But Zoe woke up to find Dean collapsed on the floor the night before they were due back home. She said: "We got back to the caravan pretty early, as I was tired due to early pregnancy symptoms. Both of us drifted off at around half 10 at night. "Then I was abruptly woken up by Dean falling out of bed at around 2 am. He had fallen out of bed before - and normally he would have got himself. But there was no movement - and I turned to see that his lips were blue and he was making choking apnoea sounds." Zoe immediately performed CPR and called for an ambulance. The paramedics arrived within 10 minutes and worked on Dean for two hours - bagging him with oxygen. "It felt like forever," Zoe said. "I was silently waiting in the living room - but in my heart, I knew he had passed." The paramedics were hoping to transfer Dean to hospital, but he went downhill too quickly, Zoe said. She recalled: "That's when I was told there was nothing more that could be done. "I walked back into the bedroom and grabbed his left hand. I was by his side until all the medical interventions stopped. And I told him I loved him as his heart monitor rang flat." Dean passed on September 26, 2025. A post-mortem two weeks later confirmed he had left ventricular failure from an "undetected" heart disease. "I can't believe he's gone - and we had no idea about his heart condition," Zoe said. "Every day, I miss his smile, laugh and kindness. And it breaks my heart that he will never be able to meet his baby. I know Dean would have been the best dad." In a bid to support Zoe, Dean's sister, Louise, 30, has launched a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for his funeral, scheduled for November 15, as well as costs for the baby. The fundraiser has already amassed more than £4,000. "I'm so angry at the world for taking our Deano so soon," expressed Louise, who is currently a full-time university student. "We are all praying that the baby will be safe and well. "And I have true hope that Dean is protecting Zoe and the baby at all costs from above. The baby is all we have of him now." Donate to Dean's GoFundMe: https://www.gofundme.com/f/deano-potter
