A MOTHER-OF-TWO is aiming to raise money for her fiancé’s funeral after he died unexpectedly in his sleep last week.

Teresa Hart, who lives on Glenview Road, Trevethin, has spoken of her heart ache at the sudden death of 33-year-old Gaetano Esposito on Saturday May 13.

Miss Hart said: “He was himself the night before he passed.

“He was watching an action film downstairs around 10.45pm on Friday night, when I decided to go to bed.

“The following morning, he wouldn’t wake up.”

The 41-year-old carer said she attempted CPR in an effort to “bring him round”.

“I thought it was going to work,” she added.

“He was only 33 and would have been 34 on Monday.

“We had arranged to go to Italy, where Gaetano was born.

“We were together 24 hours a day for four and a half years.”

Miss Hart said that Mr Esposito had not been complaining of feeling ill the night before he was found dead.

She said: “He was absolutely fine.

“This is a part I find shocking because he hadn’t been ill.

“We just don’t know what to think.”

She added: “I am devastated and worry about being alone.

“It’s only me now with my 15-year-old son, James, and 16-year-old daughter, Maria.

“He thought of them as his children - that’s how close they were.”

Miss Hart said that the most important thing for the family is to raise the necessary money for Mr Esposito’s funeral, which will be held on Wednesday May 31.

“I’m on benefits and need to raise money for the funeral,” added Miss Hart.

“He’s going to be buried in Italy and there will be two funerals – one here and the other there.

“There’s going to be a funeral here because he was brought up in Newport and Pontypool.”

She added: “I hope that as many people as possible will donate towards the £5,000 target.”

“We’d like to see people who knew him come to the funeral too.”