A heartbreaking scene unfolded in Middlesbrough when a family gathered to say their final goodbye to a beloved son and brother — only for tragedy to strike again at the chapel doors.
What was meant to be a day of mourning for one life turned into a devastating double loss that no one could have imagined.
David Beilicki, 41, had spent years battling drug addiction. Those who loved him most knew how hard he had fought to turn his life around. In recent months, he had been doing better — reconnecting with family, smiling more, and talking about plans for the future. But on July 31, the family’s hope shattered when David was found dead at a relative’s home.
An investigation into his exact cause of death is still ongoing, but his loved ones believe he had finally been trying to rebuild his life.
Even more painfully, David’s passing came on a significant and heartbreaking date — exactly ten years after the memorial for his stillborn twin boys, Karson and Deacon.
His funeral took place on August 21 at St. Bede’s Chapel in Teesside Crematorium. The chapel was filled with sorrow, as relatives, friends, and neighbors came to pay their respects.
As pallbearers lifted David’s coffin and began carrying it into the chapel, his father, Norman “Nosha” White, stood nearby, holding back tears. Those who knew Norman say he had been deeply shaken by his son’s death but wanted to stay strong for everyone else.
Then, in an instant, everything changed.
Just as the family began entering the chapel, Norman suddenly collapsed at the doors. Gasps filled the air. Someone shouted for help while others rushed to his side. “Call an ambulance!” one relative cried, her voice breaking with panic.
Paramedics arrived quickly and tried to revive him, but despite their desperate efforts, Norman, aged 61, could not be saved.
While his family remained inside to say their final goodbye to David, Norman’s own heart had stopped beating.
Later that day, Norman’s daughter, Chantelle, spoke tearfully about what had happened. “I think he must have died from a broken heart,” she said softly. “Seeing all the family together like that… it must have been too much for him.”
Doctors call it “broken heart syndrome” — a condition where intense grief or shock causes the heart to malfunction. According to the Mayo Clinic, it often mimics a heart attack, with sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. Though many people recover, the condition can sometimes be fatal.
The family later confirmed Norman’s sudden death in a funeral notice, describing him as “a devoted father to Stephen, Chantelle, Marvin, Eron, Curtis, Nicole, and the late David.” He was also remembered as a “much-loved grandad, great-grandad, brother, uncle, and friend.”
His funeral was set for September 18 at St. Hilda’s Chapel, followed by his burial at Acklam Cemetery.
Two days after David’s funeral, Chantelle shared a heart-wrenching message on social media. She wrote that her father’s collapse had happened before he even got to see his son laid to rest.
“Dad couldn’t take it,” she wrote. “The pain of losing David broke him. He was only 61, and he was healthy — but grief took him away from us.”
She ended her message with a reminder for others: “Life is short. Tell your family you love them, every day.”
A week later, Chantelle shared another tribute — this time, remembering one of the few moments she had ever seen her father cry.
She had once been hospitalized for nearly nine weeks with Guillain-Barré syndrome, a rare illness that had left her unsure if she would survive. During that time, her father’s strong exterior had cracked.
“I remember him standing there with the doctors,” she wrote, “and he just broke down and asked if I was going to make it. My dad never showed emotion like that. That was one of only two times I ever saw him cry.”
When she finally recovered and was discharged from the hospital, Norman had been overwhelmed with pride. He hugged her tight and said, “You’re stronger than you think, love. You’ve got my blood — we don’t give up easy.”
Now, as she grieves both her brother and her father, Chantelle says that strength is what keeps her going.
“My dad taught me how to be tough,” she said. “But he also showed me that love — even when it breaks your heart — is the strongest thing of all.”
Two funerals, one grieving family, and an unthinkable story of love and loss — a reminder that sometimes, hearts truly can break from sorrow.