A celebrity agent has died after contracting Covid-19 in Mexico and falling into a coma.
Cancer survivor Terry Mills, 38, originally from Devon, caught Covid-19 during a business trip to Cancun which later developed into pneumonia.
EastEnders star and close friend Max Bowden announced Terry’s death on Instagram today, saying: ‘I will love you until my last breath’.
The Big Talent Group chief looked after clients including TOWIE’S Yazmin Oukhellou, Gogglebox’s Amy Tapper, and Callum Izzard from Ibiza Weekender and was well liked within showbiz circles.
His friends had set up the fundraising page to pay for the ‘astronomical’ cost of treatment costs as well as a flight home, with stars including Natalie Cassidy, Amy Tapper, Alison Hammond, Max Bowden, Gillian Taylforth, Letitia Dean and Chizzy Akudolu chipping in. It is not yet known where Terry died.
Cancer survivor Terry Mills, 38, originally from Devon, caught Covid-19 during a business trip which later developed into pneumonia. Pictured, with friend Gemma Khan on her wedding day
EastEnders star and close friend Max Bowen announced Terry’s death on Instagram today, saying: ‘I will love you until my last breath’
Sharing a heartfelt tribute, Max, who plays Ben Mitchell in EastEnders, wrote: ‘I will love you until my last breath. You took me in when no one else would have me. You looked after me, and protected me when I was at my lowest. You nurtured me and helped me see light. You sprayed my feet when they were stinking out the house.
‘All you did was care about the people you loved. When things got bad, we’d cuddle each other on that sofa in Marylebone like two toddlers, and tell each other we’ve got this. You battled everything, daily, and won. And this time this s*** of a virus got you. But you still fought. I don’t know a life without you.
‘I don’t want a life without you. But I know you’ll be with me. You made my family feel like they were the only people in the world. I will never forget when you ran down the red carpet at the NTAs to make my Nan feel like a queen. The last messages we sent each other before you fell ill, were that we loved each other. And I always will Tel.
‘Thank you for every thing you gave me. My life will never be the same. Sleep well, my wonderful friend (sic).’
It is not clear when Terry travelled to Mexico, which has counted more than 1.7 million Covid-19 cases and more than 150,000 deaths, and earlier this month experienced a record spike that saw cases daily double to 21,366 within a week.
Due to low levels of testing, experts believe the true death count could be closer to 200,000.
The celebrity agent (pictured with the cheerleaders for American football team the Raiders) looked after clients including TOWIE’S Yazmin Oukhellou, Gogglebox’s Amy Tapper, and Callum Izzard from Ibiza Weekender
The campaign to pay for Terry’s treatment was supported by starts including Britain’s Got Talent winner Richard Jones (pictured with Terry) as well as Kate and Rio Ferdinand
The fundraising page had explained: ‘The hospital have told family and friends if Terry was to have any chance of survival he had to be induced into a coma and placed on a ventilator for a minimum of ten days, plus recovery care beyond that, and a flight to bring them home to England.
‘The cost is astronomical, but you can’t put a price on a person’s life and we are at the mercy of the Playa Med Hospital in Cancun.
‘We’ve clubbed together and thrown everything we have at this so far in order to buy Terry a hospital bed where he has been receiving oxygen and antibiotics, but his condition worsened and the doctors said he had to be put on a ventilator if he is to survive this.
‘We’re frightened. We want to be there holding Terry’s hand but we’re not allowed and we need to raise another £100,000 within the next ten days to pay for this life-saving treatment.’
It said that the group had contacted the British Consulate which had done as much as it could, but concluded that the final cost for medical care lies with the patient.
The page was set up to raise £100,000 in just ten days for Terry (pictured with journalist friend Sarah-Louise Robertson) after his friends were told his insurance only covered the first 24 hours of care
It continued: ‘Imagine if it was your other half, child, sibling, friend, lying there in a strange hospital thousands of miles from home not understanding what doctors are saying to them, not allowed to have anybody with them on the ward for the fear of contagion of Covid-19.
‘You’d do everything you could to save them. You wouldn’t want them to die, alone, simply because they did not have enough money to pay for medical care.
‘We are so lucky to have our wonderful NHS.
‘Times are hellish for all our families and the whole world in this brutal pandemic, but if you can spare anything, even the smallest amount of change it can help buy our darling Terry more time to let the doctors do their work and save their life, so we hopefully can bring him home to us.’
It is not clear when Terry (pictured at a recent charity event) travelled to Mexico on the business trip
The GoFundMe page was set up by Terry’s friends – Sarah-Louise (pictured together), Cat and Sam
Terry’s cousin Emma Mills told Femail that from the moment Terry first displayed symptoms to being placed into an induced coma was a matter of days.
Terry’s cousin Emma Mills (pictured together) said that the family were heartbroken when Terry was admitted to hospital
She said: ‘He began displaying symptoms on the Monday.
‘By the Thursday he could barely speak as he was struggling to breathe – he was placed on oxygen.
‘Then on the Saturday, the hospital said that if he was to have any chance of survival he had to be induced into a coma and placed on a ventilator for a minimum of 10 days.’
Last year, Terry, who was previously a radio presenter on ExmouthAiR, beat cancer.
His former boss, ExmouthAiR’s Station Manager Andy Green, took to Facebook with a tribute that read: ‘We are all deeply shocked at ExmouthAiR to hear this news, Terry is a colourful, lovely bubbly character who was an integral part of our early trial broadcasts who brought so much joy and energy to the airwaves.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with Terry and his family and friends at this time.’
Last year, Terry (pictured back centre in a group alongside singers Zoe Birkett and Jack Jones), who was previously a radio presenter on ExmouthAiR, beat cancer