Dad was struck down with COPD at just 35 - his daughter is now urging others to stop smoking

Denham Thomas with his young daughter. Even when she was a baby he was hit hard by COPD due to smoking.
-Credit: (Image: Thomas family / Fresh)


A proud County Durham dad was struck down in his prime by COPD due to his smoking - and his daughter recalled how difficult watching him struggle with his health was as she urged others to ditch the habit.

Sadie Thomas's dad Denham died at 69 three years ago. An ex-smoker, he was a fitness coach and doorman before he developed COPD, which changed his life and had a profound impact on his family. As he aged, he became reliant on oxygen and could not leave the house.

Sadie, who was a teenage boxing champion, spoke of how her dad's illness was something that deeply affected him and the whole family throughout her youth. She said: "It massively affected him, and not just physically. He was an incredibly proud man, and when he became ill he lost so much of his confidence and it really depressed him. He was often concerned about what people would think about him. I can't actually remember him being well.

"Throughout my childhood it would really affect and upset me. It was really hard, there were times where he would say 'if I was well, I would be doing this with you'. Obviously I always knew that, but it would have been such a nice thing."

Sadie and her mum Debbie, from Hartlepool, are featuring in an advertising campaign encouraging people to stop smoking - Smoking Survivors - which is produced by the regional campaign group Fresh. This is backed by local authorities and the NHS across the North East.

Sadie Thomas spoke about the impact of smoking on her dad Denham
Sadie Thomas spoke about the impact of smoking on her dad Denham -Credit:Fresh

For Sadie, the fact that her dad isn't around to watch his granddaughter grow up is a painful reminder of the trauma smoking can wreak. She said: "Now it's difficult too, how do I explain to my daughter why her other granddad isn't here? We still feel the consequences of this illness. He died almost three years ago and it' something we have to live with.

"It's the case that you don't think this will happen to you. No-one does - but the reality is that it very much might do."

COPD left Denham housebound and reliant on oxygen from his mid-50s, but after he quit smoking himself he backed campaigning to encouraging others to do so in order to protect their lungs, this included through Fresh’s “Every Breath” campaign supported by the British Lung Foundation.

His widow Debbie added: “Smoking changed Denham’s life changed completely, and it changed all our lives. It is so terribly sad thinking of all the things he missed out on.

“I first met Denham when he’d just been diagnosed with COPD. At the time, he was still a physically active man and was able to go to work as normal. He’d just have to do things that little bit slower as he would get out of breath really quickly. That was the first sign.

“His health deteriorated and it was heart-breaking to watch him get worse over the years. He would have panic attacks.

“Nothing can prepare you for how frightening it is to see someone close to you struggling to breathe. It was such an awful experience because whilst he was gasping for every breath and his lips going blue, all I could do was watch because if I tried to help it would only make the situation worse."

Debbie said she became Denham's carer more than his partner, adding: "We stopped being able to go out as a couple anymore and had to plan everything around making sure his oxygen cylinder was full even before stepping out the front door.

“When I looked at him sitting in his wheelchair struggling to breathe, it was hard to believe he was once a strong young man who loved his sports. He got depressed and I could see in his eyes how angry he was at what smoking did to him."

Amanda Healy chairs the Association of Directors of Public Health in the North East. She said: "Partners across the North East have been working tirelessly to reduce smoking rates and it’s been so good to see our overall rate has more than halved over the last 20 years. Campaigns like this which raise awareness of the harm of smoking and benefits of quitting reach across generations and encourage people to stop and stay stopped, or not to smoke in the first place."

Dr Neil O’Brien, the chief medical officer for the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board, said: “Smoking is one of the biggest causes of ill health and early death in our region which is why we have set a goal to reduce rates of smoking to 5% or below by 2030. Ultimately, we want to see an end to the death and disease from tobacco smoking across our region.

"As a GP I see first-hand the devastating effects smoking has on the health of my patients and the impact it has on their loved ones too. I would like to say thank you to all those who are sharing their own personal stories which I hope will inspire many others to quit smoking. It’s never too late to quit and there’s lots of support out there to help you or a loved one take your first steps on that journey."

For more about the Smoking Survivors campaign and the support on offer to help people stop smoking, see here.