Martin Hirigoyen Kelly was the husband of British actress Natascha McElhone. He was not just known for being the husband of a famous actress, but he was also a successful plastic surgeon. Martin Kelly was born on May 7, 1965, in London to his parents, Diane Kelly and Bernard Hirigoyen, an industrialist. Martin was not the only child to his parents; he had four sisters, and they were very close.
Early Life and Education
Despite being born in London, Martin Kelly’s family moved to Paris, where he grew up. Life was good until his parents separated when he was 17. Upon her parents’ separation, Martin accompanied her mother and four sisters to London, where he spent the rest of his life. He was very close with his mother, and after his parents separated, he took his mother’s last name.
Regarding his education, Martin Hirigoyen started his education in Paris, France; after moving back to London, he completed his high school education in London before joining college. He attended Winchester College for some time and later joined St Bartholomew Medical School to pursue medicine. Martin Hirigoyen graduated from Medical School in 1989, after which he joined Oxford University to pursue surgery.
Career and Passion
Upon completing his surgery degree at Oxford, Martin Hirigoyen Kelly started working as a plastic surgeon in London. He worked at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York for two years, after which he returned to London. After returning to London, he continued training as a specialist registrar in plastic surgery, obtaining his fellowship at the Royal College of Surgeons.
In the early 2000s, Martin Kelly started working at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, where he worked as a consultant craniofacial plastic surgeon. He also worked at Royal Marsden Hospital and mainly focused on repairing defects and reconstructing faces with congenital deformities. In 2003, Martin co-founded a charity called Facing the World with his colleague Norman Waterhouse; the charity intended to treat children with facial deformities.
Besides working in London, Martin Kelly worked in Afghanistan as he operated on children at Medecins Sans Frontieres. He was known for his energy, passion, and skills in his career as a plastic surgeon. He was part of the British Association of Aesthetic Plastic Surgeons and the British Association of Plastic Surgeons.
Martin Hirigoyen Kelly was passionate about music and loved playing the bass guitar and the drums. Besides, he enjoyed horse riding, skiing, tennis, and painting. Generally, Martin Kelly was a multitalented and compassionate man.
Personal Life
Regarding his romantic life, Martin Kelly was married to actress Natascha McElhone; it is unclear how they met, but they were married for over 10 years. Their love story was cut short when Martin Kelly died in 2008. During their time together, they had two sons, Theodore and Otis; when Martin died, Natascha was pregnant, and she gave birth to their third child and son Rex months after Martin’s death.
His Death
Martin Hirigoyen Kelly died on May 20, 2008, aged 43; he was found unconscious by a fellow doctor at his home, who rushed him to the hospital. However, it was too late, and he was declared dead upon arrival; it was mentioned that he died due to dilated cardiomyopathy.
