A GRIEVING dad is still waiting for answers for his little boy after the sudden death of his childhood sweetheart.

Frank Rooney has told how he battled to save his partner of 19 years Mary Anne, 34, after he woke up and discovered she wasn’t breathing.

The 33-year-old performed CPR for ten minutes before the paramedics took over but it was too late.

Tests are still being carried out and it could be six months before Frank learns what caused Mary Anne’s death, last month, at the couple’s home in Hamilton.

Three years ago Frank was featured in the Evening Times after he donated a kidney to his little boy, John Paul, who was born with a rare condition.

Frank had to break the news of Mary Anne’s death to the six-year-old, who had been staying with his gran.

He said: “I told him that his mum took unwell, the paramedics couldn’t help her and they have taken her to heaven and she’s going to be a star.

“He’s a very intelligent wee boy. I didn’t want to hide anything from him.

“I still can’t get my head around it. She had no medical conditions and the post mortem came back unexplained. They have taken some other tissue and blood samples and it could take up to six months.

“I just hope it comes back with something.”

The couple had been to see a show in Glasgow, The Dolls Abroad, the night before her death, a Christmas present from Frank to Mary Anne.

He said: “When we were having dinner she said she felt a bit sick but I was nagging her to hurry up and she drank her wine quickly so I thought it might just be that.

“When we came home she just went straight up to bed.

“She woke me up during the night saying she felt sick and her chest was sore.

“Again, I just thought maybe the wine hadn’t agreed with her and I went back to sleep.

“When I woke up in the morning, I touched her and she was cold.

“When I lifted her, her face was purple on one side and I knew something was wrong. I started doing CPR and dialled 999.

“I was doing CPR for about 10 minutes then they took over for 15 minutes.

“She was unresponsive and they asked me if they wanted me to continue.

“I knew it was too late.

“The doctor said, when it’s your time, its your time.”

“John Paul was away seeing his nanna, otherwise he would have come in and seen her. He’s an early riser.

“I know Mary was awake at 6.40am because we get milk delivered at 6.10am and that was in the fridge.

“She had been up in the morning.

“The paramedics thought it was a heart attack but just now it’s unexplained.”

Frank, who runs a cleaning business, launched a collection for the charity, Kidney Kids Scotland at the funeral service which has now reached almost £2000. The money will be sued to support local children, including John Paul, who are taking part in the British Transplant Games in North Lanarkshire in July.

He said: “Mary Anne was a loving, giving person.

"Even when we were going through all that with John Paul, she always had time for other people’s problems.”

To donate to Frank’s fund go to https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/maryannestewart