Tragedy of father who died from virus

A coach driver and former Black Country publican died after a severe bout of chickenpox damaged his lungs, an inquest has ruled.

Father-of-three John Pyatt, aged 40, was found collapsed at his home in Tennyson Street, Pensnett, in December by his wife, Carla.

Black Country coroner Robin Balmain recorded a verdict of death by natural causes at the inquest yesterday.

An examination revealed the virus had damaged Mr Pyatt’s lungs, causing them to fill with fluid and become heavily congested.

His heart had also enlarged due to it not being able to cope with the infection’s attack on the lungs.

The condition which caused Mr Pyatt’s death was ruled to be adult respiratory distress syndrome brought on by the chickenpox virus in his system.

Mrs Pyatt told the court her husband, who supported West Bromwich Albion, had said he was feeling better on the day he died and she had left him for just an hour.

“When I left him he was sitting up and listening to the Albion match on the radio,” she said.

Medical experts confirmed the condition would cause damage over a period of time but the devastating effects would happen very suddenly.

Mr Balmain said: “It seems as though the chickenpox Mr Pyatt had caused this damage to the lungs from which he suffered complications.

“In most cases this infection does not affect the body in this way and, while uncomfortable, goes away quite quickly.

“However in this case the effects were far more severe.”

Mrs Pyatt was a former landlord of the Queen’s Head pub in Pensnett.

He leaves his wife, four-year-old daughter Bethany and two other daughters from a previous marriage.