Dylan Heaps, 22, and partner Caitlin Hutching, 20, bought a house just a few months before he died.

Donna and Stuart Heaps have hundreds of photos but that's all that's left of their eldest son, who they believe died a preventable death.

Along with his partner Caitlin Hutching, Dylan Heaps' parents want answers from MidCentral District Health Board after he died following a series of "serious failings" in care and a lack of information around health risks post-surgery.

Heaps died two days after being discharged from Palmerston North Hospital, having been diagnosed with deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in his leg, after surgery on a fractured and dislocated hip.

SUPPLIED Dylan Heaps, 22, had "all the toys", a lover of motorbikes and cars.

Parents Donna and Stuart Heaps are still grieving for their eldest son who died on Boxing Day last year, but they want answers.

They no longer have a son because of lack of information and care from MidCentral, she said.

Heaps was discharged from hospital after surgery, with five different pain relief medicines.

There was no information about clotting or DVT. Three days later his partner Hutching called an ambulance because of tear-inducing pain in his calf, despite his medications. They were told it was cramp. Heaps went to his GP the next day, and was again told the same thing, despite his mother's questions about DVT.

Following consistent pain in his calf and a swollen left leg, he and his mother went to a Palmerston North medical centre on Christmas Eve. He was immediately forwarded on to the emergency department.

There he was diagnosed with DVT, seen by the orthopaedic team, an ultrasound was done, the haematology service was consulted and a plan of care was put in place.

Heaps was sent home that night, spent Christmas with his family, and died on Boxing Day.

The DVT travelled from his leg to his lungs, creating a pulmonary embolism.

Hutching was at home when Heaps collapsed. She performed CPR for 30 minutes, waiting for the ambulance to arrive.

Having submitted a complaint to the Health and Disability Commission, the family have questions around staffing levels, effective testing and the treatments available.

One of the major issues is the amount of information given to their son, Donna Heaps said.

MidCentral was involved in the review of the national framework for veinous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention in hospitalised patients, published June 2012.

In the document is a "Stop the Clot" pamphlet for MidCentral.

Heaps said her son did not receive anything of that nature, nor was he given surgical socks.

"There was nothing about clots... no DVT information given to Dylan."

One Christmas Eve he was discharged with instructions for the administration of drug Clexane, but that's all, she said.

"They can't bring my son back, but they can stop the other sons from going, the other partners from going," she said.

His parents and partner met with the DHB chief executive Kathryn Cook and hospital services operations director Lyn Horgan early February to discuss the circumstances surrounding his death.

The DHB have undertaken a systems review of Dylan Heaps' entire treatment, expected to be completed at the end of May.

Horgan said it would be inappropriate to comment on what may have led to the tragic outcome for the Heaps family.

"The family has provided us with a number of questions to be answered and we are working to provide these answers," Horgan said.

However, the DHB believed it worked within the international guidelines for management of VTEs.

"Advice was provided to him at the time of his surgery, and when Dylan had a DVT and attended our ED, he was given treatment and medication for managing his DVT, following a full assessment of his condition."

A large convoy of classic cars, Harley Davidsons and dirt bikes were driven down Dannevirke's Main St on New Years Eve to remember the man who loved fast cars, motorbikes, fishing and hunting.

"We've had people come to see us and say 'he packed more in to his 22 years than a lot of people twice his age would have'," his mother said.

Having bought a house and dog with partner Caitlin Hutching in September, and almost complete with his training as an engineer, Heaps "had so much ahead of him".

"People just loved him."