Mates rethink values of life
Guy Hilton-Barber and Joshua Clarke couldn’t be happier to hang out with Ben Phillips.
The former classmates, all 18, have a stronger friendship since Ben suffered a near-fatal bleed in his brain on the day of their Year 12 graduation last October.
Guy and Joshua and other close friends were invited to the hospital to say goodbye to Ben, who was not expected to live.
Guy said it was a traumatic experience but he is thankful to the Phillips family for thinking of them amid their own grief.
Ben’s near-death experience has caused Guy to reconsider what he does with his own life.
“It seems like we’ve joined the real world where people live and die, ” he said.
“Now I spend my money on better stuff. I do more things, I don’t want to spend my life being lazy.”
Joshua said the knowledge his mate was going to die helped him recognise the frailty of life.
“It’s made me appreciate life more and now I want to stick with my friends and keep in touch, ” he said.
Ben said he was grateful for his friends’ care and attention and it made him very happy.
“They’re the best friends, all of them, ” he said.
“I love them.”
The three young men are looking forward to fishing, surfing and playing music together as Ben regains his confidence and his mum learns to let him out of her sight again.
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