Hervey Bay man fights to marry fiance who died tragically

A Hervey Bay man is fighting to marry his fiance posthumously after he collapsed and died weeks after they delayed their wedding because of Covid. Read his extraordinary story.

Robin Drury lost the love of his life, Jyee Kevill (pictured), when he collapsed suddenly at a Hervey Bay shopping centre.

Robin Drury thought he had experienced the worst thing that would ever happen to him when he survived a horrifying attack in which he was stabbed 22 times.

That was until he lost the love of his life, Jyee Kevill, when he collapsed suddenly at a Hervey Bay shopping centre weeks after the couple had been forced to delay their wedding because of Covid.

Now Robin, who campaigned tirelessly for marriage equality, feels he has another battle ahead for the right to marry his fiance posthumously.

The couple had been set to marry in May, 2020, but decided to wait due to Covid restrictions.

“We‘d been together a long time and were going to be together forever,” Robin said.

“It didn’t matter how long we postponed it for.

“Now, that postponement is my biggest regret in life and I’m sure always will be.

Robin Drury lost the love of his life, Jyee Kevill, when he collapsed suddenly at a Hervey Bay shopping centre.

“I wish with all my heart that we‘d just gone down to the courthouse with two witnesses and gotten married.”

Six weeks after the couple postponed their wedding, Jyee collapsed at Stockland Shopping Centre.

While a security guard and then paramedics worked to save him, he couldn’t be revived.

“My seemingly fit and healthy 25-year-old fiance was just gone,” Robin said.

“It turned out that he had a blood condition that made him more susceptible to clotting and had developed DVT in both legs.

“He passed away from a pulmonary embolism when one of those clots was released from his leg and blocked the artery in his lung, cutting off oxygen to his brain.

“He was gone before his body hit the pavement.”

Robin described the moments at the centre, just hoping Jyee would open his eyes, but knowing as the minutes ticked by there was no hope.

“I mean, he had to wake up,” he said.

“He was my whole world.”

Robin said while losing Jyee was the only thing that truly mattered, he felt like the words partner, boyfriend, even fiance, were not enough to describe their bond.

“That doesn’t adequately describe our relationship,” he said.

“When I talk about Jyee, which is constantly, I should be able to refer to him as my late husband.

“Without a posthumous marriage, I‘ll never get to have a wedding.

“I know categorically that I will never be with anyone else again.

“And given I spent 15 years marching in parades protesting inequality, starting and signing hundreds of petitions to have same sex marriage legalised and emailing and calling federal MPs dozens of times to push them in the right direction, and now add to that the fact that it was in fact made legal for me to marry another man, it would be nice if I could actually have the opportunity to have a wedding, no matter how heartbreaking the circumstances around that wedding will be.”

Robin Drury lost the love of his life, Jyee Kevill, when he collapsed suddenly at a Hervey Bay shopping centre.

The two had picked out white suits that they intended to wear to their wedding.

Instead, Jyee wore his during his funeral service and when he was cremated.

Robin wore his to the funeral.

Robin credits Jyee with helping him recover mentally and spiritually from a stabbing attack in Urangan that left him physically injured, angry and bitter.

He was attacked by his housemate, Eric Roger Frederick Heuer, in November, 2008, when he was stabbed 22 times.

His jugular vein was nicked in the horrific incident.

Heuer also attacked another housemate, with both men saved only after a neighbour let them take shelter in her home.

While his dream of spending the rest of his life with Jyee has been lost, Robin said the impact Jyee had on his life would always be felt.

He said Jyee had been loving and wise beyond his years.

Hervey Bay wedding and funeral celebrant Christine Smith said she understood how Robin was feeling.

She oversaw Jyee’s funeral and knew the depth of grief Robin was experiencing.

Having overseen dozens of weddings, she also knows how meaningful it was to bring two people together to make that commitment.

While Christine is unsure posthumous marriage will ever be legal, she said even having a simple ceremony could be helpful for Robin’s healing.

She herself knows she could never marry again if she lost her husband.

“It could be an acknowledgment of the love they share, even after death,” she said.

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