On Monday 14th March, 2011, Andrew O’Mahony took his four and a half year old son, Motik *, to West Middlesex Hospital A&E after what had seemed to be a bout of gastroenteritis worsened.
They arrived at the hospital at 8.30 a.m. A little over two and a half hours later, Andrew and Yulia, Motik’s Mum, held Motik’s hands as they heard the crushing words, “Time of death, 11.06.”
He died as a result of a rare congenital condition which led to a gastric perforation caused by eventration of the diaphragm. The family had not previously known about the condition.
While devastated at the heartbreaking loss, Andrew and Yulia are grateful that Motik was not in great pain or distress, that Andrew was with him throughout, and that Yulia was able to join them before Motik died. Up to the point at which he was put under general anaesthetic for emergency surgery, he was still lucid and speaking clearly and coherently, even commenting on the growing number of people gathered around his bed.
Although we are of course biased, Motik was an extraordinary personality and presence in the world, and while heartbroken at his death we and Motik's older brother Peter are extremely grateful to have known him and to have spent four and a half such happy years with him.
Elswehere on the site are some of our favorite photos of Motik, the order of funeral service, and the tribute to Motik that Andrew delivered at the funeral. Many of those present have been kind enough to say that it did a wonderful job of bringing Motik's character and personality to life.
We have also created a page to show the memorials in Motik's honour that have been placed at both Motik's and Peter's schools since his death, and there is also a page where you can view the presentation about Motik that Peter gave to his classmates on the first anniversary of Motik's death.
Dear Motik, the letter Andrew began to Motik on the day he died, was published on September 28th, 2015, which would have been Motik's 9th birthday.
Find out more here
(* Motik's full name was Matthew Nicholas O'Mahony. Motik is a diminutive of Matvei, the Russian for Matthew)