Chilling three words before man’s sudden death

A Queensland woman revealed the moment her world was turned upside down after she got a phone call during the night from the other side of the world.

Sophia Brunt had just finished feeding her four-month-old baby when she received a phone call that turned her life upside down.

The Queensland mother-of-three was told her only brother Sam, 37, had suddenly died.

The 34-year-old said she knew something was wrong when her mother, who lives in Morocco, kept trying to call her at 2am.

Sophia rejected the calls as she was trying to put her son back to bed.

However, when her mother texted saying it was urgent, she immediately called back.

“I just kept hanging up the phone – I thought Mum probably got confused with the time difference – but when she said it was urgent, my heart just dropped,” Sophia told news.com.au.

Autopsy results revealed Sophia’s brother had died from heart disease.

“I woke everyone in the house screaming and crying. It was a massive shock, an absolute shock.

Sophia Brunt, 34, (pictured) was left shattered following the sudden death of her brother Sam, 37 (right). Picture: Sophia Brunt

“I just knew something was going to be wrong because I never get a phone call that early in the morning.”

Sam, who lived in Scotland with his wife and six-year-old daughter, began to experience symptoms of vomiting, diarrhoea and shortness of breath for four days before his death on August 25.

However, despite his family’s plea to go to the doctor, Sam refused even begging his wife not to call the hospital.

A young Sophia and Sam with their mother. Picture: Sophia Brunt

“My sister-in-law told me she called the ambulance but he took the phone off her and hung up. He said, ‘I’ll be fine.’

“A few days later she hid herself in the room and called an ambulance.”

Sophia said the day before her brother’s death, he was on the phone to their dad and was in good spirits, talking and laughing.

Sam leaves behind his wife and six-year-old daughter (pictured). Picture: Sophia Brunt

But the following day his health took a turn for the worse.

“After my sister-in-law called the ambulance, they checked his blood pressure and found he had hypertension … They put on an oxygen mask and gave him an injection.”

Sam was rushed to hospital where he was sadly pronounced dead.

Autopsy results revealed he died from an enlarged heart.

“My mum has a bad heart condition to do with her bowels and my parents kept pushing him to go get tested, especially during his last few days,” Sophia said.

“My mum is just distraught. We all can’t help but think, ‘What if.’

“What if he went to the doctor, would he still be here?”

More than $25,000 has been raised to get Sam’s body to Morocco – at his wish. Picture: Sophia Brunt

At the request of her late brother, Sophia is now trying to raise funds to get his body to Morocco – the birthplace of their mother.

So far, more than $23,000 has been raised on GoFundMe, with proceeds also going towards financially supporting Sam’s wife and little girl through the heartbreaking ordeal.

“I am just blown away by the support that everyone has been giving. You honestly don’t realise how much love that person has, or the people he has touched until it is too late.”

A devastated Sophia said the news has absolutely floored her – particularly given the last time she saw her brother was back in 2017.

“My brother and I were very close growing up. He moved to Scotland (where my dad is from) and I moved to Australia. We lost contact for a while but then reconnected during a family trip to Morocco in December – and that was the last time I saw him,” she said.

“We had plans to see each other again this year and there were even talks about him moving to Australia after he sold his house in Scotland.”

Sophia said “hold and cherish” everyone around because you never know when it may be the last.