This site Has been created to honour the memory of one of the most amazing people I have ever known, and he was my brother! Born with the name Jason Ward, known at his death as Purple. Born on the 15th of March 1979 he was a skinny thing but no-one thought much of it. He took his time learning to crawl and really only shuffled on his bum! He had an umbilical hernia removed which gave him a smiley belly button! At an eye test, the optician said to my mum "I think your son may have Marfan Syndrome." Tests were done by the doctors and the opticians fears were confirmed. He had Marfan.
So began the long struggle against living with a condition that affects nearly all the muscles in the body from the heart to the muscles that hold the lenses in your eyes in place. Many stories can be told of the things Purple used to do to cope with his condition. I can't remember when it was said but we all knew that Purple wouldn't live as long as the rest of us. Children born with 100% Marfan die within a few hours, those with 90% maybe up to 3yrs. My brother had it 70-80%, the oldest they predicted he could live to was 40yrs old. Not a wonderful thought to live with and sometimes I think it drove him to attempted suicide, but he had too many people looking out for him.
Finally, on the 26th of June 2004, it took its toll after a night out while he was in Cornwall, working on a strawberry farm. He collapsed on his way back from the toilets with a friend. When asked if he wanted an ambulance he said "hell no...", he knew it was his time. His aortic route had split, another thing due to Marfan. He could only have been saved if they'd had him on an operating table the moment it happened. My younger brother had to be the one to allow them to stop after they had tried everything in the emergency room. Minutes later I found out the news.
His funeral was decadent! The church was packed with goths, metallers and non alternative people alike, all there for Purple. All had their own experience of him-the most honest, caring, fun loving person they had known. At the grave side when he had been placed in the grave everybody threw something in after him, Jack Daniels, cigarettes, clothes, flowers, all sorts! The wake went on til the early hours, all in the spirit of Purple!
To put Purple in nutshell is hard, he wrote it himself the best.
"I care too much. I would like to hear my voice. I can't see the end of me Store it deep inside of me. I can't hate people I can't be nasty to people. I don't like other people doing it. I invariably ignore or overlook people's foibles. I always try to be there for people I care for. I fall in love too easily. I can be very manipulative, with no effort. I keep myself distant. I can be thoughtless. I can't talk about my emotions. I don't judge others quickly, if at all. I forgive and quite often forget. I am territorial of lots of things. I'm a bit selfish. I am arrogant, yet unconfident. I pick the wrong women (for me). I am lazy in certain respects. I am hard working in others. I'm not a bad person. I wonder if the heating is on in hell."
It says everything. Heres to a wonderful person, my best friend. I will love and miss you til I see you again. Your little big sis, Hayley xxxx
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