Family’s year-long wait for answers after man’s death with toothache

A family whose "adored" son and brother was found dead aged just 33 after suffering from a toothache have finally been told how he died.

Bradley Tucek from Sydney had undiagnosed diabetes the family said, and his tooth infection also contributed to his death.

His sister Ally Valentine, who lives in Perth with the rest of his family, said they could never have guessed what the coroner's report would reveal.

"There's not a single person who thought diabetes," she said.

"I'm pleased that they could find out what happened to him."

As reported by 9news.com.au last July, Tucek's dentist had given him antibiotics and Panadol to treat an infected tooth and booked him in to have it taken out a week later.

Tucek told his sister and parents Greg and Rose in messages on July 13, a Wednesday, that he had a toothache.

During their final conversation on the Saturday, he said he was too sick to talk.

"He had said to Mum, 'This is the worst pain I've ever been in,'" Valentine told 9news.com.au at the time.

He then stopped responding to his family's messages, which was unusual, Valentine said.

He didn't turn up for work as as usual on the Monday, July 18.

Some of his worried colleagues went to Tucek's apartment in Naremburn in the city's north and found him dead on the kitchen floor.

Despite calling an ambulance, it was too late.

Police estimated that he had died on the Saturday night.

Now it has finally been confirmed Tucek died from a complication related to diabetes called diabetic ketoacidosis, the coroner's report, seen by 9news.com.au, said.

He had never been diagnosed with the common condition, where the body cannot produce enough insulin.

His tooth infection was also a "significant condition contributing to the death", the coroner's report notes.

Valentine said it's sad to know his death probably could have been prevented.

She said her brother had brushed off recent weight loss as being due to the pandemic, but this could have been the key to a diabetes diagnosis.

She said she believed he had the type 2 form of the condition.

Now she's urging other young men to get their health checked if they notice any changes.

"All he needed was insulin. What he had was completely manageable," Valentine said.

"Don't ever think you're silly for having a seemingly minor ailment checked out.

"To think his health issue could have been so easily picked up with a simple blood test.

"The consequences are devastating."

After his death, the family flew Bradley's body back to Perth and had a "really special" funeral, Valentine said.

She has given her new baby Joseph the middle name Bradley in his memory.

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Valentine is now planning a diabetes fundraiser to help raise awareness of the common condition.

"This can't have happened for nothing," she said.

There are two kinds of diabetes, type 1 and type 2, affecting 1.3 million Australians.

In 2020, diabetes was the seventh leading cause of death in Australia.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common, according to the ABS.

Do you have a story? Contact journalist Sarah Swain on sswain@nine.com.au