We want to keep Luke’s memory alive: why I ran the Cardiff Half Marathon
Sam Phillips from Newport ran the Cardiff Half Marathon this year in memory of her beloved son, Luke. He tragically lost his life to a sudden asthma attack in 2019, when he was just 19 years old.
Luke and his mum Sam
It was a huge shock to us all. We never thought asthma could take him away from us. But I must hold on to the fact that he was so loved, had so many amazing friends, and truly lived his life to the fullest.
We never thought his asthma was a danger to him
Luke was born at just 1.11 pounds. I went into labour at only 31 weeks, and he spent his first year in and out of the hospital. He was hospitalised with chest problems twice when he was very little and was diagnosed with asthma soon after. Thankfully, his asthma improved during his teenage years, and we never thought it was a real danger to him.
We never knew that Christmas would be our last with him
Our lives turned upside down just after Christmas of 2018. Luke was at a friend’s house. He loved socialising and had so many friends. That evening, he became wheezy and short of breath, so he popped home to get his inhalers. This wasn’t out of the ordinary, as his allergies sometimes made his asthma worse. But when he returned to his friend’s house, things quickly went downhill. His breathing got much worse, and Luke collapsed.
When the paramedics arrived, they got his heart working and he was transported to Royal Gwent Hospital and placed in intensive care. Luke never woke up and passed away a week later. We never knew that Christmas would be our last with him.
It brings me comfort to know a part of Luke still lives on
We decided to donate Luke’s kidneys, pancreas, and liver. Amazingly, donating his liver saved a woman’s life—she had three children. It brings me comfort to know that a part of Luke still lives on and continues to make a difference, just like he always did.
We want keep Luke’s memory alive and to raise awareness about how dangerous asthma can be. I want to remind parents to take asthma more seriously, to get their child’s annual reviews booked and inhaler technique checked. It could be life-saving. Luke should never have died of an asthma attack, and we now want to help prevent others from experiencing the same devastating loss that we have.
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