TRIBUTES have been paid to a young dad who died in his sleep.

Sam Marrow, 30, who had no underlying health problems and was well known amongst friends for his love of the gym, leaves behind daughters Amy-Leigh, 11, and Megan, 10.

A fundraising campaign is under way to help care for his daughters after he tragically passed away last Thursday night.

Following Sam’s tragic death, best friend Jonny Smith, of Blackburn, is determined to do all he could to help provide for the girls’ future and keep Sam’s memory alive.

He said: “Straight away I got in touch with his mother, obviously she was grieving but she told me she wanted to get something set up for the girls.”

He added: “They’re like nieces to me, they’ve always called me Uncle Jonny, we’ve always been together through thick and thin.”

Jonny and Sam had grown up together and remained the best of friends throughout that time, with Jonny describing his friend as “as close as a brother”.

With that closeness extending to Sam’s children, Jonny has now set up a campaign through the website GoFundMe which aims to raise money for the girls’ future.

The ultimate goal of the campaign is to provide the funds to set up a gym dedicated to Sam, which the girls will be able to run when they are old enough and will help to keep their father’s legacy alive.

Jonny says that, though devastated by the loss of their father, the campaign has given the girls hope that at least some good can emerge thanks to the generosity of others.

Jonny said: “Their dream now is to open a gym in his memory.

“Everything is going towards them, everything is going towards that gym.”

He added: “I keep in touch with the girls through FaceTime and just seeing them and seeing that look on their faces makes it all worthwhile.”

The campaign has already raised over £1,800 but is currently aiming at a target of £5,000.

Speaking of his friend’s legacy Jonny said of Sam: “He was a true gentleman.

He lived for his kids, he lived for the gym and he was just an all-round good man.”

To donate to the campaign for Sam’s daughters visit: https://www.gofundme.com/f/to-them-little-girls-that-has-lost-there-father.