Ebonie Dowdy urges important discussions after sudden loss of partner, Blake Chown, at 25

"You hear it on the news, but never expect these things to happen to you," she said.

"My two-year-old doesn't really understand ... the three-year-old knows Dad's not coming back. She knows that he's up in the sky, and when it rains, Dad's making it rain by weeing so much.

"I don't know how I feel ... I still don't believe it."

Despite not having had the conversation directly, she decided to donate his organs for transplant. She said she's sure he would have done the same thing if their positions were reversed.

"It was a tough decision to make, but I wanted to make sure that if he couldn't live his life with his kids, he was helping someone else," she said.

"It was the right decision, to save other people's lives."

Now dealing with the unexpected loss of her long term partner, Ms Dowdy and their children - Sophia, 3, and two-year-old Samson - are trying to make the best of a bad situation.

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She wants other people to have conversations about death with their loved ones, so they aren't left with the challenge of making significant decisions, while they process a tragic loss.

"You don't think to have these conversations - being so young ... but you never know when life's going to turn for the worse," she said.

"We would have had a bigger conversation about life ... getting life insurance, getting funeral insurance."

Ms Dowdy is saddled with the responsibility of being a sole parent while she grieves. Her new practical responsibilities include organising a funeral - an enormous expense and effort for someone who has just lost a partner.

This is why her family organised a fundraising campaign - to help with the cost of the funeral, and give Ebonie enough financial breathing room she doesn't have to worry about becoming destitute too.

"Just because someone dies, life doesn't stop - people still need to eat, still need nappies, childcare fees," sister Aimee said.

"There's so many other expenses too ... the funeral, the headstone, the wake.

"Our biggest priority is making sure that once everyone goes back to their lives, Ebonie is going to be ok."

Ms Dowdy described Blake as a good father, fiercely loyal friend, and fun-loving larrikin.

"He loved his work as a removalist ... loved his fishing, loved his beers, loved his ciggies," she said.

"He loved to annoy mum ... and he was a loving father to these terrors."

Blake entered hospital with symptoms of tonsillitis. He was given a steroid injection, sent home, and told to present at the emergency department if he was unable to swallow, or symptoms otherwise worsened.

Blake drove to hospital the following day, having trouble breathing. His family say he was sent home with an analgesic.

Twenty minutes after he returned, he collapsed while on the phone to emergency services. Ms Dowdy performed CPR, and paramedics continued to work on Blake while he was rushed to hospital.

There, he was diagnosed with epiglotitis - a swelling in the throat that obstructed his airways. His family say that despite the best efforts of paramedics and the emergency department, he passed away four days later.

This all took place over the course of five days. Blake did not have any known pre-existing medical conditions before his death on June 28.

A spokesperson for the Murrumbidgee Local Health District said they extend their deepest condolences to the family, and are reviewing the care he received.

Riverina Thrashers will be donating the proceeds of their yearly Cruise for Clint, scheduled for July 30, to Blake's family.

Those wishing to make a donation to help support the family can do so at gofund.me/43900c6f.

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