SUDDEN FAREWELL
NEWS COPY - WITH PICTURES - by Shanti Das and Andrew Doyle
A mum whose three-year-old died suspected sudden infant death syndrome has revealed his last words: - 'goodnight – I love you'.
Tragic Bryan-Andrew Lock passed away in his sleep after being put to bed by his loving family.
A heartbreaking photo taken moments after the little lad's death shows his mum Jasmine Shortland, 23, cradling his tiny hand.
Doctors have told her the death was possibly caused by SIDS - sudden infant death syndrome,
He had been staying at his gran's for the night with one-year-old brother Austin because they thought Bryan-Andrew may have mumps and his family didn't want him to pass it to baby sibling Ivan, aged four months.
Jasmine, of Yeovil, Somerset, said: "He'd been to the doctor because his face was swollen and we were told it was suspected mumps.
"He said 'I'm not very well mummy' and I replied – 'I know I will see you soon when you're better'."
That night, "bright and smiling" Bryan-Andrew went to sleep uncomfortable but happy in himself.
Before he nodded off, the sleepy little boy called Jasmine.
The heartbroken mum has now revealed that his affectionate last words to her were: "Goodnight – I love you."
At 3am that night, poorly Bryan-Andrew woke up and asked his grandmother, Debbie Lock, 50, for a drink of juice.
Early the next morning, Jasmine and Bryan-Andrew's dad, 20, were woken up by a loud bang on their front door.
Jasmine said: "It was my step-dad David. He was crying, he said 'Bryan's gone'.
I just fell on the floor screaming and crying."
She added: "Mum told me she heard Austin had woken up and she thought that was strange because Bryan-Andrew always woke up first.
"She went in the bedroom and she could see he'd gone.
"She screamed to David, he rushed in started doing everything he could – he was trying to do mouth to mouth, but his little jaw had locked.
"He was rushed to hospital but the paramedics were pretty clear that he was asystole," she said, meaning his heart had stopped beating.
A medical team at Yeovil Hospital fought to try and save the "bright and clever" youngster but to no avail.
Jasmine said: "I just broke down when they told us he'd gone. Josh and I collapsed on the floor and I was just screaming.
"You just can't explain to people what it feels like – I have to go on because of the other two, but it's like a huge hole where something's missing.
"I just can't believe he's gone."
Since Bryan-Andrew's sudden death on August 11, his family has launched an appeal to raise money for a special send-off for Bryan-Andrew.
Jasmine said: "He was so cute – It didn't matter if he'd never met you – he had a lovely smile for everyone.
"He loved his dinosaurs and animals of all kinds – he'd play for hours, arranging them from the biggest to the smallest."
For the funeral, on September 1, Bryan-Andrew's family hope to hire a horse-drawn carriage to take him to the venue.
"It's just hit us all so hard - all of the family - we all loved him," said Jasmine.
"You feel the whole range of emotions through to anger - you think about what some people do in this and get away with it, and you wonder - why?
"Why did he have to be taken? There is nothing to fill the gap.
"My poor little boy has been through so much now and we just want to lay him to rest."
To donate, visit: https://www.gofundme.com/2jcerh8
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