A groom who had a heart transplant has died just a few months after marrying his wife in hospital.
Steven Cairns passed away on Thursday after becoming critically ill following a cardiac arrest earlier this week.
Devastated wife Katie said her “heart is absolutely breaking” that her “soulmate is not coming home”.
Posting the news on Facebook, she said their journey had “ended in the most tragic way”.
She added: “Today he was supposed to be coming home and we were finally going to start our married life together.
‘Instead of planning our wedding I need to start planning his funeral.’
Katie Cairns
“We had so many plans for the future and were looking forward to planning to renew our wedding vows and having a party to share our love with our family and friends.
“Instead of planning our wedding I need to start planning his funeral.
“My heart is absolutely breaking today having to wake up to the reality that my soulmate is not coming home.”
Father-of-three Mr Cairns first had a heart attack in 2013 which required open-heart surgery for a leaking valve.
It began to leak again a few years later, however he was able to manage it with medication.
Unfortunately, Mr Cairns took ill while the couple were on holiday in Lanzarote in January.
He then became confined to a bed after being admitted to the Golden Jubilee National Hospital in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, with advanced heart failure in February.
The Midlothian couple, who had been together for a decade, had previously discussed getting married at Celtic Park or Gretna Green.
However, the Celtic fans decided there was no better time than the present and got married in a small ceremony at the hospital back in May after staff stepped in to make their dream a reality.
On the day they got married, Mr Cairns was due to undergo a heart transplant but the operation did not go ahead.
To save his wife from further worry after other cancellations, Mr Cairns hid news of his heart operation earlier this month until it was complete.
‘I am so proud that I am his wife – even if only for a short few months.’
Katie Cairns
The couple then began to make plans for their future until tragedy struck.
Mrs Cairns added: “Stevie was one of the most kindest people I know and the way he has fought over his illness over the last seven months was exceptional.
“I am so proud that I am his wife – even if only for a short few months.
“I don’t know what the future holds for me, but every moment of every day I will be looking out for signs that you are watching over me.
“Love you always and forever – forever in my heart.”
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