Father-of-two diagnosed with rare genetic condition was ‘recovering well’ after a tumour removal when he sadly died
Rob Gibson with his partner Annalise(Image: Family of Rob Gibson)
A highly respected Hull businessman with a surgical history that meant he “should not be medically alive” two years ago has sadly died. Rob Gibson was well known in the area for the Signs Express franchise he had held for 24 years and he battled through serious illness to keep working.
But it was his two children who were his “sole purpose and the reason he got up in the morning”, according to his family. Rob had endured many stays in hospital and bouts of surgery, including the removal of a gangrenous appendix and a kidney.
During one surgery for a bleed on the brain, an aneurysm burst that led to Rob having a stroke while on the operating table, leaving his left-hand side paralysed. Rob learned to walk and talk again with the support of the rehabilitation team at Hull Royal Infirmary and was back at work again within the year.
Rob’s elder sister Sarah Dawson said her brother had ultimately been diagnosed with a rare genetic condition known as vEDS (Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) which affects the blood vessels and internal organs and can cause them to split open, leading to life-threatening bleeding. She described him as “our walking miracle”.
The former Hessle Rangers footballer was born in Middlesbrough on June 6, 1976, five minutes before his twin, Stephen. “Mum didn’t know she was expecting twins – apparently she had a scan but it never picked up two babies as they were shadowing each other perfectly,” said Sarah.
It came as a shock to their parents, Carol and Keith, but a happy one and the family was later completed by sister Ruth. They continued to live in Middlesbrough until moving to Hull for Keith’s work.
“All us siblings went to Penshurst Primary, in Hessle, then on to Hessle High School. Rob went into a job straight from school, then he took on the Signs Express franchise in Hull in 2002 at the age of 25.”
Before he became ill, Rob, who was a supporter of Tottenham and Hull City, was a sponsor of the Tigers and attended lots of corporate events. His former football club Hessle Rangers paid tribute, saying: “Everyone at Hessle Rangers is devastated to learn of the passing of Robert Gibson.
“Rob was a much-loved former player at Rangers and a wonderful supporter of the club via his Hessle-based business, Signs Express. We send our sincere condolences to Rob’s wonderful family.”
Sarah said Rob first underwent surgery at the age of 34 when he was found to have a gangrenous appendix; it was removed just in time as it had turned septic. “In July 2013 he was rushed into hospital with head pain and scans and tests showed a rare-placed brain bleed – this is where his first aneurysm was noted,” his sister said.
“Surgery was carried out with a specialist stent fitted. The statistics were given to the family that this was dangerous but it was his only option if he was to live.
“In surgery his aneurysm burst and caused Rob to have a stroke while on the operating table and his left-hand side was paralysed. As a family we were told his chances of survival were low and he may not live the night.
“Miraculously he came through but was put into an induced coma to let his brain rest and to heal. After months in hospital he recovered, a different Rob to the one who went in.
“He learned to walk and talk again and started back to his work within the year as this was his drive, but as a different person. His determination pushed him and he did the best he could, even though his dominant side was not in full use – his leg worked again but his arm never recovered.
“He adapted to his new life with constant pain but just carried on with dignity for a few more years. More pain saw him in Hull Royal again and a scan revealed a stone on his kidney.
“It was complicated surgery yet again, instead of a laparoscopic procedure (keyhole surgery) a full open surgery was performed and through this it was found his bowel was attached, along with other complications.
“The kidney was removed and yet again he went on his recovery journey. Two years ago, Rob ended up in Scunthorpe Hospital with pain all over his body.
“After confusing the doctors and surgeons, with his multiple scans and unexplained blood findings, Mr Golpe [upper gastrointestinal consultant] was assigned to Rob. This truly talented and patient surgeon could not believe Rob’s excessive surgical history and said he shouldn’t medically be alive.
“He was intrigued by Rob’s positive outlook and wanted to help more. He organised more medical professionals to assess Rob and after weeks of tests and a multi-disciplinary team meeting, he was assigned to bed rest at the hospital.”
Rob was “nil by mouth” for weeks and Mr Golpe and his team worked to find answers. “They called him a walking miracle and eventually found Rob had a rare genetic blood type and vEDS was the diagnosis.”
An adrenal tumour was found above Rob’s remaining kidney a year ago and its removal had been in the planning since. An operation was scheduled for the beginning of July, with two medical vEDS surgeons and an experienced vascular team, whom the family had met on several occasions, Sarah said.
“They had Rob in five days prior for monitoring – Sheffield was chosen for Rob’s needs, as one of the two specialist vEDS hospitals in the country. The surgery went well and we were told all had gone to plan.
“Rob was in good spirits and happy that the tumour had been removed successfully. He went to ICU and was recovering well.
“At midnight he was talking to the nurse, showing pictures of his children as he was very proud of them. As she went to charge his phone at 12.01, he died. They tried for over an hour and half to resuscitate him.”
Sarah said it may take “a few months” to find out the actual cause of Rob’s death. She said of her brother: “He was a handsome, charismatic, cheeky chappy and had so many friends, both in business and personally.
“He was successful in his industry and this gained him colleagues all over the country. His connections to his school friends all these years later were still strong and they have been a fantastic support system.
“We have been inundated with messages of condolence. The amount of love the family have received and the abundance of messages have been overwhelming, and this is what I wanted to share with everyone, along with the knowledge of this rare genetic condition.”
Rob leaves a daughter, Imogen, 23, and a son, Brandon, 20, and his partner of two years “and by his side throughout”, Annalise. A funeral for Rob will take place on Friday, August 21, at 1.30pm, at Haltemprice Crematorium, Willerby, followed by a wake at The Willerby Barn.
A link to the funeral ceremony will be shared so that friends of Rob in Australia and New Zealand, some of whom came to share in his 50th birthday celebrations in June, can be part of it. Donations are invited for Annabelle’s Challenge, the UK’s only charity dedicated exclusively to Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
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