Alexander was the very first NKH child we ever met. We were in hospice on end of life care and they drove up, from over an hour away to meet us. He opened our eyes to what was possible. That we might survive that stint in hospice (we did) and that life with NKH was absolutely possible.
Since then we’ve made a point to spend as much time as we could with them. We drove the two hours for their Halloween party last year. When he was in hospital I drove down again. Earlier this year when they were in a London hospital, I armed myself with delicious takeout and we sat around his hospital bed catching up. Earlier this year we did a meet up with Eloise, Neil and Doms as well as Kirsty, Jon and Alexander. What a fun day that was.
Alexander’s beautiful, with the longest eyelashes you ever did see and the most piercing blue eyes. He’s got such presence. His parents have been an amazing source of comfort for us. They’ve been our cheerleaders, they’ve been a wealth of information. And they’ve also been fun. Jon is into Formula One like Sam, and when Jon stayed at ours instead of the hospital they flew drone simulators together.
They love their son with such overwhelming fierceness it gave me hope for what life was going to be like with our son. That it was possible to live on fierce love, that it was possible to survive all the adversity on love alone.
Earlier this week Alexander died.
Devastation doesn’t have enough meaning to explain the hole he’s leaving in so many lives. The giant hole he’s leaving in ours. Alexander was a fighter and he fought such a phenomenal fight. He dictated how things went right to the very end, and was a phenomenal, phenomenal person.
He is so loved. So so so loved. So many of us are broken and the world seems like a darker place without him. Alexander will be fiercely missed.
Fly high Alexander. We love you.
