DJ who beat the odds after brain haemorrhage dies at 43
A popular DJ who beat the odds after suffering a devastating brain haemorrhage while on holiday in Ibiza four years ago has died at the age of 43.
Jef Woodhouse, also known by his DJ name of Pete Baker, had worked for The Severn in Shrewsbury, The Wolf in Wolverhampton, Telford FM, The Wyre in Kidderminster, Signal in Stoke and had a regular DJ slot at Silks nightclub in Cannock.
In June 2013 Jef, from Burntwood, was two days into a six-day holiday in the Balearics with a pal, fellow DJ Chris Gray, when he had a brain haemorrhage which left him critically ill for weeks, with doctors putting his chances of survival at between 10 and 15 per cent.
His family, including his teenage children, flew out to his bedside as he lay in an induced coma. His condition improved enough for him to return home, although he was left needing permanent care.
He was suddenly taken ill earlier this month, and died at Queen's Hospital, Burton-on-Trent, on August 11.
The funeral is at Bretby Crematorium, between Burton and Swadlincote, on Friday, September 1, at noon.
A crowdfunding campaign has been launched to help fund his wake which, in keeping with his life of music, will include a disco. Any money left over is going to Newlands House, a charitable care home for people with physical disabilities which looked after Jef.
Donations in his memory are also going to Newlands House.
Jef is survived by children Jade and Kyle and former partner Abigail.
Speaking at the time of Jef's initial treatment, Chris described the moment he knew something was wrong.
“We were having a great time in San Antonio and visiting all the various beaches. I was supposed to meet Pete on the Tuesday morning but he was late, then he rang me to say he’d had a stroke. I ran to the hotel reception and we called an ambulance.
“He was taken to hospital and they did a number of scans. They said he had had a brain haemorrhage.
“On the Tuesday night the doctors said they needed to operate on him. At that point he was saying he had a numb leg but he was still him.
“After his operation he lost all feeling down one side.
“He had a few more operations to remove swelling on his brain.
“If he does wake up, they say he could have brain damage and paralysis. It was completely out of the blue.”
Jef had worked in pirate radio stations in the 1990s. He studied computing at Staffordshire University and Stafford College. His first job was on Signal in Stoke.
