I looked up his name in Google and as it turns out, a year after his demise, his family announced a charitable foundation in his name, to honour his message of peace and kindness.

This despite the overwhelming tragedy they had had to endure; as apart from his death, his sister Jane who was an Irish dancer, lost her leg, and his mother suffered brain injuries and blindness in one eye.

Out of a dark and most horrific experience, they found light and hope, and positivity. His mother wrote that kindness supported human dignity and was determined that her son’s foundation become a movement helping young people to learn, grow and lead through volunteerism, and community engagement.

I write about this today because this is exactly what is happening in our community, as we face the one of the most ever challenging of ordeals; an unknown virus which walks amongst us in disguise, and does not manifest itself until some time has gone by. A virus which the world, it appears, was not ready for.

This despite the many messages coming from scientists who predicted years ago that a pandemic of enormous proportions was in the making. Make of that what you will; but it is perfectly obvious that Governments were not prepared for it, and had made no provisions for such an outcome.

25-03-2020 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR