Young brothers orphaned after finding parents dead within months …

Two young brothers have been orphaned after finding both their mum and dad dead within months of each other.

Robbie, 12, and Logan Clinton, 13, returned home from a sleepover and went to check on their dad Mike, 41, when they noticed he wasn't out of bed yet. They went into his bedroom where they found him in bed and "couldn't wake him up".

The boys had just lost their mum Shelley, 51, who passed away on March 24, 2023. On this occasion, they had come home with their dad when they tragically found their mum dead. The shocking and unexpected death of their mum left the boys and Shelley's older son Jack devastated as they were grieving her loss, the Liverpool Echo reported ^[1].

But on July 27, 2023, tragedy was once again to strike the family when the brothers found their dad dead. Mike's older sister, Liz Carney, told The ECHO ^[3] how her brother died just one day before his and Shelley's wedding anniversary and three years after losing his own parents.

The family of Mike and Shelley are still awaiting their cause of death.

Liz said: "The boys had just come back from a sleepover and noticed he wasn't up yet, so they went upstairs and found him in bed. "They couldn't wake him up.

"I got a call from Caitlin [niece] and she told me Mike had died, I didn't know what to say. I thought she was calling with arrangements about their wedding anniversary and doing something for him.

Mike Clinton died on July 27, 2023 (Image: Image: Family submitted)

"I was speaking to Mike the night before, he was telling me he was playing football with the other dads and he had a bit of a bang, but he really felt it. I persuaded him to go to the doctors but he promised me he was fine and he just needed to go for a check up and ECG."

Liz described her brother, who was a huge Liverpool FC fan, as being "full of life" and a "proper family man". He was born in Walton before later moving to Runcorn with his family.

Mike and Shelly with their two children (Image: Submitted)

After he met his wife, Shelley, he moved to Darlington in County Durham where he worked as a driving instructor.

Liz said: "I know everyone says it but he was really full of life, he was a good friend and people thought the world of him. People respected him and he was really loved, everyone up there [in Darlington] called him Uncle Mike.

"He became a fully qualified driving instructor and his client list was amazing. He taught his nieces to drive and adored his boys as he was a proper family man, he was very protective of his family.

"We had plans for the boys to come back down here and we were going to take them on a tour of Anfield because he and the boys were big LFC fans. We had so any plans."

Robbie and Logan are now being looked after by their 19-year-old cousin, Caitlin, who has devoted herself to keeping a roof over their head.

Liz said: "We're so proud of her [Caitlin], one of the first things she said is that she was going to look after those boys. She was the same with Mike after Shelley died and was always making sure he was okay.

"She was really close with them both and saw Mike as her second dad and Shelley as her second mum."

A GoFundMe ^[4] page has now been created by Hurworth Albion Football Club to raise funds for the boys and Caitlin to make sure they have support. The page has already raised almost £18k, with Liz saying the family have been "overwhelmed with generosity".

From left, Liam, Liz's son Danny's knee, Robbie in the middle held by Chris, Mike's older brother, Logan, Liz, Mike and Chris (Image: Family)

She said: "It's really overwhelming to see the names of so many people we know, and hundreds more that we don't."

The family have now shared details of Mike's funeral, which will take place on Friday, September 8, at 2pm, at Darlington Crematorium on Carmel Road. People are being asked to wear something red or a Liverpool top for the service.

To donate to the GoFundMe page click here ^[5].

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References

^{^} Liverpool Echo reported (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
^{^} Children escape injury after A500 crash between lorry and car (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)
^{^} The ECHO (www.liverpoolecho.co.uk)
^{^} GoFundMe (www.gofundme.com)
^{^} GoFundMe page click here (www.gofundme.com)
^{^} or click here (www.stokesentinel.co.uk)