For those of you with friends...

[Big RICHARD]

On Friday I was at work. A group of friends were playing 5-a-side. I normally play with them, but was unable to take time off work.

We normally play for an hour, but the game on Friday didn’t last that long. After half an hour one of my friends collapsed and stopped breathing. An ambulance was called and the sports centre first aider performed CPR on him. They managed to start his breathing before the ambulance arrived. While the paramedics were tending to him he stopped breathing again. But they managed to get him breathing too. They took him to hospital. While he was there he stopped breathing again. This time there was nothing they could do to help him. On Friday, one of my best mates died while playing football with friends.

Martin Brown was 23. He was one of the nicest blokes I have ever known. He wouldn’t hurt anyone. We don’t know what caused his death. We do know that he was born with his heart back to front and it is probably fairly safe to assume that this was the cause.

I found out yesterday. One of my friends tried to contact me all weekend to tell me, but I was unable to speak to him until 7pm yesterday. I was heading home and stopped at Tebay services on the M6. I only stopped to go to the toilet! I gave my mate a ring to see what he was up to and that’s when I found out. I bet the group of girls who looked like they were heading home after a drinking weekend somewhere were wondering why a bloke in his early 20’s was stood in Tebay services crying his eyes out! That was me. I cried like a baby for about half an hour before I felt fit enough to drive home.

Be grateful for your mates, you don’t know when you’ll lose them!

Rest in peace, Marv! We love you mate!

[Flash]

Sorry to hear that mate, pass on my condolencies.

[Skii]

My condolences.

He sounded like a nice bloke.

[Elmo]

RIP - condolences to you and his other friends and family

[Tumble]

you must be gutted mate... can't even begin to understand how you must be feeling atm... take it easy fella

[malfunction]

Sorry to hear that Rich. Don't know what to say really other than my thoughts are with you.

[Emzay]

That's terrible . Sadly we really can't predict when stuff like this will happen - hope you and all your friends are ok - my condolences.

[Knoxville]

My condolences to his friends and family, no-one should have to loose a friend like that

[Stringent]

Sorry to hear of your loss.

Death has no favourites.

[killgORE]

Keep your pecker up.. as they say. Death has favourites.. Because the best of us die so young.

Take it easy there.

[steve threlfall]

Very sorry to hear that mate

[Bunjiweb]

Best wishes mate, I know what its like to loose a best friend that quick, its not nice

Chin up, and you know where we are if you need anymore emotional support.

Ben

[MasterFlash]

So sorry m8

[Rythmic]

My condolances mate - death is never easy to deal with - especially when its completely unexpected.

Take it easy eh?

[Saracen]

Be grateful for your mates, you don’t know when you’ll lose them!

Family too.

One of the harshest lessons to learn in life is that we aren't invincible, and that life can be a very fragile thing. Fortunately, most people don't learn that lesson early in life, but it hurts whenever you learn it.


You have my condolences for your loss, and my sympathy to your friend's family too.

[Big RICHARD]

Thanks to you all. I don't know what else to say.....