Widespread tributes after popular 26-year-old father and lifelong Swansea City supporter dies undergoing heart surgery
Tributes have been paid to a father-of-one and avid Swansea City fan who died after undergoing heart valve replacement surgery.
Mitchell Powell, 26, died on Wednesday after he went into cardiac arrest whilst undergoing the procedure at Bristol Heart Institute.
From Waun Wen in Swansea, Mr Powell was born with a heart condition and had undergone more than 20 heart operations.
It left him reliant on a pacemaker and he was told from an early age he would need a full heart transplant in early adulthood.
He was said to have been excited ahead of his operation, hoping it would improve his life and had tweeted a picture of himself outside the Bristol Heart Institute before going in for surgery.
Having never forgotten about the help he received throughout his life, Mr Powell was a committed fundraiser for the British Heart Foundation and was once named the charity's fundraiser of the year.
Paying tribute Mr Powell's parents, Caroline and David Powell, said their hearts would be "forever broken".
They said: “Mitchell was a wonderful son and as a family we are so proud of all the good he achieved in his life.
"He will be forever missed by us all and will live on through his beautiful daughter Lylah.
"Our hearts will be forever broken."
Mr Powell's brother David and his sister Kirsty said: "Mitchell, our brother our best friend.
"Our hearts are shattered into a million pieces and our lives will never be the same again.
"We love you until our last breath and more, our darling beautiful Mitchell."
His fiancée Danielle Norman said: "My Mitchell, my world, my rock and our darling daughter's Dada!
"I've got a million words I could say but nothing will heal our hearts.
"We'll do you proud Mitchell. We will love you forever and ever - Your girls."
Mr Powell was a committed follower of Swansea City Football Club who regularly attended home games with his father at the Liberty Stadium.
He was also heavily involved with his local side Maltsters Sports AFC, becoming the club secretary and achieving his UEFA C and B coaching badges.
Justin Parker, secretary of the club's junior section, said Mr Powell's own life experiences had made him passionate to help others.
He said: "He was so committed to his fundraising - he had stacks and stacks ofstuff ready to raise money, like Anthony Joshua signed gloves, Cristiano Ronaldo signed pictures, a Raheem Sterling signed shirt.
"He was so passionate about charity.
"He went through so much with his heart and was in and out of Bristol Heart Institute where he was the other day. He never forgot what they done for him.
Swansea City paid tribute to Mr Powell before and after Friday night's Championship clash with Norwich City.
After the Swans' two-nil victory over the league leaders, manager Steve Cooper dedicated the win to Mr Powell.
"I would like to dedicate the result to Mitchell Powell" Cooper said.
"We have lost one of the Jack Army in awful, tragic circumstances, and as a football club our heart goes out to the family.
"We wish them well, and if there is anything we can do for them then we will do our best.
"That is at the forefront of the club’s mind, so I am really pleased on that front that we won the game.”
Swansea City legend Lee Trundle paid his own tribute to Mr Powell, explaining how he first got to meet him when he returned to the club as ambassador.
"I first met him when he came out of hospital after an operation," he said."I spent a bit of time with him then and kept in touch with him through the years seeing him out and about.
"I also spoke to him on Twitter and I was only saying good luck to him a few days before he went in for his operation.
"He was such a positive person, especially when you think of all he went through from a young age. He loved his football, he loved the Swans and loved local football.
"It is so sad to see him go, it is going to be a great loss and my heart goes out to his family."
A fundraising page has been set up to raise funds for Mr Powell's family.