️ Henry Thomas: A Tribute to the Life He Deserved ️

️ Henry Thomas: A Tribute to the Life He Deserved ️

Sadly Henry has died unexpectedly, this has been a shock and in no way were we anticipating such sad news. This fundraiser is to support Henry's burial and honour his humanity.

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Short Description:

This fundraiser is to give my uncle Henry a respectful, heartfelt burial and to honour his life, his struggles and his strength.

Henry was a good man, deeply loved by our family. He was undocumented, homeless, and in very poor health - but above all, he was human. He mattered. And now, he deserves peace.

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Full Story:

On the 28th of May 2025 at 9:34am, my uncle Henry passed away at King’s College Hospital.

Just three days earlier, on the 25th of May, he was found collapsed outside the stairs of our home by a neighbour, where he had been lying, unable to move, for approx nearly 22 hours. He hadn’t eaten, drunk water, or received help during that time. He was taken in by ambulance, but his body was too weak to recover.

The clinical cause of death was multi-organ failure, triggered by:

• Prolonged immobility following a fall

• Acute bowel isachemia due to hypo-perfusion caused by dehydration

• Rhabdomyolysis (severe muscle breakdown from lying still too long)

• Pre-existing hepatocellular carcinoma, liver cirrhosis, portal hypertension, and chronic kidney disease

In simpler terms: Henry’s body had already suffered through years of illness and hardship. After a binge and a fall, his organs began to shut down. Despite emergency care, it was too late to save him.

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Who Henry Was: Not Just a Case, but a Man

Henry was born in Benin City, Nigeria in 1975. He studied engineering, and came to the UK with the dream of building a better life. He wanted to contribute, to work hard, and to be part of society. But as an undocumented migrant, the system offered him no stability, no public support, and no legal way to work.

Still, he was never idle.

Henry used his engineering background to teach himself how to repair second-hand tools, which he bought from Nine Elms Market. He would stand outside B&Q on Old Kent Road, hoping someone might hire him for small jobs. He cut hair in Peckham and Brixton, took on cash-in-hand security jobs, and even worked in a chicken shop as a cook, doing whatever he could to survive.

From 2018 onwards, Henry was homeless. He slept on buses, slept in rotating church shelters through Glass Door Winter Night Shelters, and occasionally found sofas to crash on. He spelt anywhere where he could rest his head even in the park. The streets were harsh, and it impacted his health deeply. It broke down his health and It wore down his spirit.

In a written statement for his immigration appeal, Henry said:

“Since being on the streets, my health has been very, very bad. I have had pneumonia. I also have liver ascites, which I’m told are worsening, and liver cirrhosis with portal hypertension and varices. I have been admitted to King’s College Hospital many times — including six admissions between July 2019 and January 2020.”

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❤️ A Second Chance at Love and Belonging

Henry wasn’t just our uncle, he became our family’s heart.

My mum had known Henry nearly 17 years ago, but they lost contact over time. In September 2020, after he had just been discharged from hospital with complications from liver disease, they reconnected on the street. Henry explained his situation to her. And out of compassion and faith, as a fellow Nigerian woman who had also once struggled, my mum took him in.

From that moment, our home became his home.

Henry found peace, protection, and real love with us. He would often say that he never enjoyed his time in the UK until then. Living with us was the first time he felt truly safe, human, and seen again.

He had been part of our family since the birth of my nephew, who is now three years old. The bond they shared was so special. Henry taught him how to dance, took him to the park, and played with him every chance he got. My nephew adored him. Even now, he hasn’t fully processed his death, he doesn’t understand why Uncle Henry isn’t around anymore. He just misses him deeply. Children are innocent, and that love alone speaks volumes.

Henry especially loved my mum’s cooking and was absolutely spoilt with food. One of his favourite meals was pounded yam and fish stew, he’d light up whenever it was served. He was humble and deeply appreciative, and he happily did the food shopping for my mum, knowing how much her high blood pressure and frail health made it difficult for her to go herself.

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The Joy He Brought to Our Lives

Henry was so much more than his circumstances.

He was funny, vibrant, and kind-hearted. He loved children and always brought gifts for the little ones in our family: paints, toy cars, play sets, blocks, just anything to help them be creative. He wanted to see them laugh, learn, and grow.

He helped repair things around the house, worked on our garden, and even tried to fix up my sister’s garden because he wanted us to spend more time outdoors as a family. He often played the role of peacemaker during disputes. He just wanted us to be happy and connected.

One of my most beautiful memories with him was at my birthday in 2024. He helped from beginning to end with organising, entertaining guests, making everyone laugh. That was Henry at his best: giving, smiling, joyful.

We were both music lovers, and he encouraged my music career unconditionally, he even became my biggest supporter and uplifted me to pursue music. He would buy karaoke sets, speakers, microphones and create a musical space in our home. He came to my first video shoot, cheered me on and always reminded me, “you’re destined for greatness.”

He truly spoke life into me.

He also helped renovate my bedroom, he painted the walls himself and laid down wood flooring, just to make sure I had a space that felt calm, beautiful and mine. He was hard-working like that, always doing things to make others feel more at peace, especially for the peace of my family.

For the past five years, Henry spent every Christmas with us. And every year, he brought light, laughter, music, and joy into our home. He made the holiday feel truly warm and memorable

and we know it will never feel the same without him.

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✝️ His Faith and Family

Henry was a Christian who found strength in God even through his battles. He was baptised at St George’s Cathedral in 2005, and regularly attended church. I have a vivid memory of going with him to Life Church in Catford in 2023, he was a social butterfly just radiant and full of life: so happy, dancing, smiling, and chatting to everyone like he was home.

He also loved and missed his own children.

Henry has a son in the UK, whom he sadly lost contact with after separating from the child’s mother. He also has a daughter in Germany, who he kept in regular phone contact with. He longed to be in their lives but couldn’t travel or support them due to his immigration status and lack of income. That broke his heart.

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️️ Why We’re Fundraising

Henry has no biological family in the UK to manage his affairs. To our knowledge, we are his only family here.

We are raising funds to:

• Cover his funeral and burial costs

• Create a memorial or tribute in his honour

• Create awareness of causes supporting undocumented migrants, addiction recovery, and mental health

• Share his story to raise awareness and compassion for others like him

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Final Words

Henry was not perfect. He had his demons, such as: addiction, illness, grief, and trauma, but he was a beautiful soul who tried.

He cared for my mum like a carer when I couldn’t, while I worked long 12-hour shifts as a nurse, did overtime bank shifts and juggled studying.

He filled in gaps that society left open. He helped us as much as we helped him.

This fundraiser is about dignity, legacy, and love.

Henry wasn’t just a man without papers.

He was a man full of stories.

A man who made mistakes but had so much light inside him.

A man who deserved a better life and now finally, deserves a proper goodbye.

If you can give, please do. If you can’t, please share.

Help us honour Henry as the loving, complicated, and cherished human he was.

Thank you,

Antonia-Michelle

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