Oscar Brian Till 💙

We made it to Australia, back on the 10th October 2024, and spent a lovely few days exploring the city of Perth. We were checked into our flight across to the east coast of when we received a call from Holly, my sister. Nothing out of the ordinary there, until there was a crack in her voice. The type of crack in a loved ones voice which makes your stomach plummet and you try a prepare for the next few words. 

Our nephew Oscar had died. He woke up on the morning of the 13th October a happy and healthy 10 year old but then didn't make it to see that evening, which is a hard thing to comprehend, especially when you're on the other side of the world, so we were on a flight home as quick as possible. 

It's hard to explain what we returned to. It was almost as if an explosion had gone off in the middle of my family and those at the centre are wounded, lives changed forever, and then as you move slowly away out to people at the edges, there are those who are able to dust themselves off. I remember as we walked through Birmingham Airport when we returned, people acting normally confused me, how could they act normal after what had happened? 

After some time at home, we have made the decision to continue with our travels, a decision that wasnt easy to make. I couldn't continue with this blog without documenting what happened. 

There's so much I can say about Oscar. He bought so much joy, kindness, and music to our family. He would amaze me with his brilliance at memory games and his ability to find the loophole in everything. Matt would call him Loophole Boy, as he would talk his way out of things like putting his coat on because what he had with him wasn't technically a coat but a hoodie. I will think about the life he would have had, should have had, everyday.

Below is a poem, put together by Oscars school class. It's made of words and phrases which they think of when they associate with Oscar... 

Poem (In Memory Of Oscarby Ryders Hayes Community Primary School) 

Oscar, swift as the wind in flight,

Tag was your game, you moved like light.

A guardian on the football field,

In defence, your strength revealed. 

With friends beside you, joy in your stride,

Through every sport, you played with pride.

Kind and gentle, always there,

A heart so big, beyond compare. 

A mind so sharp, numbers obeyed,

Like a calculator, you led the parade.

In maths, a natural, shining bright,

Turning puzzles into pure delight. 

Laughter echoed in every room,

You loved to play, to lift the gloom.

With Xbox in hand, you'd escape and explore,

Finding adventure, always craving more. 

A lead learner, showing the way.

Through curiosity, you lit each day.

At Cubs part of Green Pack, you stood tall,

Brave and true, answering every call. 

Though you're gone, your spirit remains,

In hearts and memories, where love sustains.

Oscar, our star, forever fast,

In every game, your legacy will last. 

Sudden Unexpected Death in Childhood (SUDC) takes 40 children a year in the UK, and in reality that figure is probably much higher, with so many families not having an answer why. It's often said that you never know what's around the corner but until something like this happens, it's like you don't know how true that statement can be. 

If you know my family, and others who were close to Oscar, please watch out for fundraising events taking place for SUDC. It's a small charity aiming to spread awareness whilst researching and looking for links between those who have been lost, so that maybe in the future fewer families will have to feel how brutal not knowing what is around the corner can be. 
SUDC UK website

To our family and friends, wherever we are, we love you. 
And to Oscar, wherever we are, you are with us. 

Lots of love, Lisa and Matt 💕