A 38-year-old father, Mark Anthony Kirby from Prescot, Merseyside, has sadly di£d after what his former partner believes was a bite from a venomous spider he recently bought online.
His ex-partner, Kayleigh Gill, revealed that he had purchased the spider only a few weeks earlier before his sudden passing on Saturday, August 2.
Kayleigh explained that Mark had joined her, her partner, and her sister on a trip to Scotland. During the outing, he mentioned feeling unwell, but she thought it wasn’t serious because he was still joking around and playing pranks while they ate together at Toby Carvery before returning home on July 26.
In the days that followed, Mark continued to complain of flu-like symptoms such as body aches, temperature changes, and feeling very weak. On August 2, he called Kayleigh’s sister, Kath, who lived nearby, and told her he was struggling to breathe.
She rushed to his flat in Knowsley and dialed 999, but before help arrived, Mark collapsed. Paramedics tried to save him around lunchtime, but sadly, he could not be revived, according to reports from the Liverpool Echo.
Paying tribute, Kayleigh described Mark as funny, caring, and outgoing, adding that he was a devoted father to their two children and always the life of the party. She noted that even though their relationship had ended after 16 years, they remained best friends and always put their children first.
She further revealed that Mark had bought five spiders online just a few weeks before his death and had become very fascinated with them, even though he was previously terrified of insects.
A post-mortem examination has not yet confirmed his cause of death, but his family believes the spider bite triggered the illness that led to his tragic passing. Kayleigh admitted she is still in shock and said she had urged him to go to the hospital after he mentioned the bite, but he never did.
She stressed that people should not be able to buy such dangerous pets online without a licence. Mark leaves behind two children, 18-year-old Nathan-Mark and 17-year-old Kimmy-Louise, who are mourning the heartbreaking loss of their father.
