A Wonderful Soul Named Jake

I'm doing this on behalf of my family, my mum and as his sister so I want to thank you all first.

To anybody who is helping us, this is not something we ever thought we would have to do and it means more than we can ever express into words because this is the hardest thing we has ever had to do ...

On January 14th, at 18:42, my beautiful baby brother was pronounced brain dead after suffering a cardiac arrest brought on by his diabetes. He was rushed into hospital on Sunday afternoon, and due to the very brave efforts of his sister, we were given a very special chance to say goodbye. It has been a very surreal moment of existence.

Jake Peter Chapman was born 15th May, 2004. He was going to celebrate his 21st birthday this year. He was diagnosed with diabetes at a very young age, which we as a family have helped him manage these many years. It is a awful disease that has taken a very much loved, beautiful young boy away from us.

I've been told to pour my heart out here for him because if any soul on this planet deserves it, it was Jake. We honoured his very often spoken about wishes to be an organ donor (but not his pancreas because that didn't do him a very good job) and this great honour means that even though he is gone from us, he is living on and doing something very few of us may never get to do. Saving lives.

I know he's been able to help people. There are people out there right now, recovering because of my brother. And I am so - WE are so proud of him.

We never know when a loved one will leave us. A mother should not have to say goodbye to her child. Siblings should not have to say goodbye to their youngest brother. Friends should not have to miss a beautiful soul like his. Jake was very, very much loved in all his years of living. It is absolutely heart warming just how many of you exist. How many of you loved this little man. How many of you will miss him.

We are a strong family and we plan to live every day for him, and though this is something we never thought we would have to do, Jake will never be forgotten. We had twenty beautiful years with him. Twenty beautiful years, and now this wonderful, kind, creative, loving boy deserves the absolute best we can do for him even if it's not much.

Thank you. This is to help the memory of a boy taken by a cruel, unforgiving disease lay to rest in the way that he wanted to be remembered. Not a sad moment, but an absolute celebration of his life, his love, and the impact of his existence on all the lives he touched, be it friends or family.