Aussie man fails to wake from sleep just days before 22nd birthday
The young Queenslander had been living with an unknown health condition.
A Queensland mum says she is struggling to “accept the enormous loss” that she has been left with following the sudden death of her 21-year-old son.
Rickson Williams’ life was cut short on January 11, just a week before his 22nd birthday, when he died “unexpectedly” in his sleep.
“This is not a post I was expecting to write but it’s nonetheless one that has to be written,” his grieving mum Tanya Wright said on Facebook the day after his death. “Anyone who knew us, knew how much Rickson meant to us and how much this loss will affect our lives and our family.”
‘He was always so healthy and fit’
The man known as ‘Ricko’ from Wallaville, west of Bundaberg, had unknowingly been living with a hidden health condition, as reported by the Townsville Bulletin.
“It was a massive shock, he was always so healthy and fit,” Ms Wright told the publication. “We didn’t know until after he died that he had an enlarged heart. We don’t know his exact cause of death at this stage, but we think it may be related.”
“He had his whole life ahead of him and he just put in an application to study a bachelor of music. His dream was to be a music producer and he had just bought a new laptop and all this other equipment.”
In thanking friends and family for their support during “this exceptionally difficult time,” Rickson’s mum wrote on Facebook that “every day is a struggle at the moment.”
“So I’m just doing one day at a time,” she said.
Mum launches fundraiser to give son ‘farewell he deserves’
As the 21-year-old’s family tries to find a way forward, Ms Wright has turned to “our amazing community, loving family and amazing friends” for their help after setting up a GoFundMe page to cover unexpected expenses.
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“Although the financial support won’t bring Rickson back, it hopefully will help us to give him the farewell he deserves and some time to mourn the unexpected loss of our loving son and brother without the added stress of financial burden,” she wrote online.
A funeral service for Rickson will be held this Friday at Wallaville Hall at 10am.
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