For the love of Josh
Parents of teen crash victim back appeal for charity that supported him through illness
THE father of a teenager who died in a road accident after beating a rare condition as a child has paid tribute to his “brilliant” and “absolute angel” son.
Josh Fletcher (18), from Moira, passed away after his car left the road following a collision with a cow in Lisburn last October.
As a child, he was diagnosed with diamond blackfan anaemia (DBA), a rare and incurable bone marrow disorder that leaves patients unable to produce red blood cells properly.
His parents, Joe and Julie, launched a campaign to change the law to allow them to have a ‘saviour sibling’ for their son.
Josh’s sister, Jodie, was born a tissue-matched baby after no bone marrow matches were found within the family.
Joe told the Belfast Telegraph the past six months had been “horrendous” for his wife, Jodie and Josh’s brother, Adam.
“I don’t know any other 18-year-olds like Josh,” he said.
“After his death, we got to know his group of friends better than we did when he was alive. One of them said, ‘He was the best of us’.
“That basically sums him up. He was so caring. He wouldn’t have had a bad word spoken of anyone.
“Josh could have walked into a room of strangers and sat down and talked to them as if he had known them his whole life.
“I put that down to the fact that he had been going to hospitals from he was six weeks old and was being forced to interact with doctors and nurses.
“He developed social skills that lots of young people don’t. I certainly didn’t have them at his age. He was brilliant.”
Before his tragic death, Josh was studying engineering at Belfast Metropolitan College after previously completing a course in aeronautical engineering. His dad paid tribute to his son as a fundraising campaign for DBAUK, a support group that helped Josh, was unveiled.
Jamie Mckeown, a friend of the teenager’s uncle, has set himself a challenge of completing the Denis Rankin Round, a long-distance run covering 90km and taking in all peaks in the Mournes above 400 metres, in a 24-hour period.
He hopes to raise £6,500 through the challenge, which he is taking on in June.
“Jamie set a target of £1,000. He had that in 24 hours, then he put it up to £1,500. He got that in four days. When it hit £3,000, he decided to make it £6,500. He will have to climb 6,500 metres, so the choice of target is symbolic,” Joe said.
He urged the public to get behind the fundraising drive.
“Every penny that goes to the DBA gets spent wisely. Any money you give to the DBA does not get wasted,” he added.
Josh had undergone the life-saving bone marrow transplant in England around 10 years ago. At the time his family spoke of their campaign publicly to raise awareness of DBA, featuring in the Belfast Telegraph and attracting the attention of TV presenter Lorraine Kelly.
At his funeral, family minister the Right Reverend William Henry said Josh’s experience with the illness had shaped his personality and outlook.
To make a donation, visit www. justgiving.com/fundraising/denisrankinroundforjosh