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Britain has been battered by five heatwaves in 2026, with a sixth possibly on the way, leaving Brits sweltering in relentlessly high temperatures. One heartbroken mum-to-be says the scorching weather was initially thought to be the cause of thesymptoms her personal trainer fiancé began suffering after a trip to the gym.

His profession would suggest that Marco Damaggio was in excellent health, but there was a hidden danger. "Gentle" Marco had been living with a heart condition, but was unaware of the risk he faced. Returning home feeling unwell on July 6, Marco was left unable to breathe and soon lost consciousness; his partner, Lana Corina, scrambled to save him, giving him CPR, but he sadly died in front of her. Adding to the agony, he was just about to become a father.

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Marco died despite a prolonged attempt by first responders to keep him alive. A later examination revealed an underlying heart problem that had gone unnoticed.

As Lana prepares to welcome their baby and step away from work for maternity leave, a friend has rallied for her, launching a fundraising appeal to help cover costs in the months ahead.

Lana has spoken of her devastation, remembering Marco as an “amazing person”, and has turned her grief into a warning for others — calling for greater awareness of silent heart conditions and urging people not to ignore symptoms and to get medical help.

Lana, from London, said: "It feels like my life's stood still since July 6. It started as a normal day, the weekend before we went to a wedding party for one of his friends, it was the perfect time for him to tell everyone about the baby that we're expecting.

"He wanted to be a father so much. We woke up in the morning, had breakfast as always, he went to get a blood test done because we went through fertility treatment.

"He came back home and even though he didn't tell me initially, about an hour after coming home he said he hasn't been feeling well after the gym.

"It was during the heatwave, it was 35 degrees outside and the gym has no aircon so I thought maybe it's just exhaustion - having had blood taken out plus the heat and the workout.

"He started saying 'I can't breathe' so at that point we called 999. Within seconds he passed out and that's when the nightmare started".

Lana said the condition came as a complete shock. Marco’s life revolved around fitness — he trained others for a living, stuck to a disciplined diet, had played rugby in the past and worked out constantly — so heart problems were the last thing they expected.

Lana wants to turn her loss into a wider message, calling for more checks to spot hidden heart problems. She believes screening should be expanded, particularly for anyone who has experienced possible warning signs.

Lana said: "He always took his supplements, he always hit his macros, he only had one cheat day a week. I was always worried that he trained too hard but it was part of him. He did that since before I met him, that was who he was, he worked really hard.

"Too many athletes such as Marco suffer or die from undiagnosed heart conditions, it seems to be very common in bodybuilding as well as football.

"If we saw a cardiologist maybe things would've been easier, he would have started treatment that would have helped him instead of just passing out and just never coming back."

As Lana prepares for the baby’s arrival without Marco, a friend of the couple has launched a fundraising appeal to help support her and their child financially.

Lana said: "He changed a lot of people's lives, he was more than just a coach, he was a friend, a mentor, a supporter and a confidant. He didn't have a bad bone in him. For me it's been really hard to deal with life now.

"The baby is growing and I find it really hard to accept I'll be a single mum because he deserved to be here. We found true love, which not many people get to experience in their life time, but was cut short because of his undiagnosed heart condition.

"Our hearts are not being checked unless something really bad happens such as strokes or heart attacks and by then, for some it's too late. Marco was an amazing person, he changed a lot of people's lives."

You can donate to the fundraiser on the GoFundMe page.