A devastated family from South Shields has paid tribute to a "kind and generous" son and brother who passed away at the age of just 31 after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Lewis Slesser, who was known as Lewey, was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) at the age of just three and despite doctors saying he would not live past his teenage years, he went on to live a full and happy life. However, on October 18 he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest.
He was resuscitated and taken to Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary where he was put in the intensive care unit. However, despite everyone's best attempts, Lewey was severely ill and his parents Anne and Gary had to make the heartbreaking decision to turn his life support machine off.
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As well as his heartbroken parents Gary and Anne, Lewey leaves behind siblings, Rachael, Josh, Abby, Jack, and Danny, and brother-in-law Lee, as well as nieces Amelia, Lexi, and nephew Theo. His tragic death shocked his family who are originally from South Shields.
They have since vowed to celebrate Lewey's life while also thanking the staff at the Bradbury Wing in Jesmond who cared for him. As Lewey's DMD gradually progressed and he required 24/7 care, he moved into the Bradbury Wing, a home for adults with physical disabilities, in March 2020.
Despite being initially anxious about moving there, Lewey said it was the "best thing he ever did" and made a whole raft of friends and memories there. His family including sister Abby, 25, praised the staff there for "treating him like family" and they now want to raise as much money as possible for the home in Lewey's memory.
Explaining what happened, Abby said: "His passing was quite a shock. His carers said he was laughing and carrying on when he suffered a cardiac arrest. He was resuscitated and taken to the RVI where he was put in intensive care but he was too poorly.
"It was just devastating for us all, especially mam and dad who had to make that decision to turn his machine off but he was just too poorly. I think it gave us a bit of comfort that he didn't know it was happening."
Paying tribute to her brother, Abby said: "We all have so many fond memories of Lewey. He was just hilarious and always got us into mischief but mam never believed he was the one causing it! He was so kind and generous and he had such a huge impact on everyone he met.
"He spent a lot of time playing on his PlayStation and he was so competitive! He loved the Lake District and going to the arcades just simple things like that but we made the best memories with him."
Opening up on his DMD, Abby explained: "When he was born he was quite delayed in doing things so he didn't start walking until he was one and he kept falling down. He was diagnosed with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy at the age of three.
"We tried to keep his life as normal as possible but he was given a short life expectancy. We were told he may die in his teenage years so he's done really well. He had a really lovely life and he was always really positive despite everything.
"With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, your muscles just waste away over time so soon Lewis lost the ability in his legs and it just progressed from there. He lost the ability to swallow and lost the ability in his hands which was quite hard for him as he loved food and loved playing on his PlayStation.
"I think that affected him quite a bit. He was always really positive and nothing could really put him down but he wasn't able to play his PlayStation or use the TV so that was hard for him. He did get an iPad that he could control with his head and that gave him a bit of independence and he could call or text my mam."
A big change in his life came in 2020 when he moved into the Bradbury Wing. Abby said Lewey "wishes he moved in sooner" and loved his time there.
She said: "My mam has cared for him her whole life but he started to need 24/7 care so he moved into the Bradbury Wing. The staff there treated him like family and they went above and beyond for him. He had an amazing time there.
"When he turned 30, one of the carers took him for his first night out in Newcastle so he had his very first hangover at 30! He absolutely loved it there and he said he wishes he went sooner than he did. He made so many great memories.
"He was really anxious about it at first but he's so glad he went as he made loads of new friends and it gave him a bit of independence as well. The level of care he received was just amazing."
Following Lewey's tragic death, Abby set up a Go Fund Me page to help raise £1,000 for the Bradbury Wing which is charity-run. Within just 24 hours, that target was smashed and his family have been blown away by people's support.
Abby said: "Within 24 hours, our target was hit which is just amazing. It's been lovely for us to see how much people loved him. Even the hospital said they have never seen this many visitors for someone ever. He was so loved."
She added: "We just also want to say thank you to all the staff and say how grateful we are for all they've done for Lewey. We can't ever repay them but hopefully, we can raise as much money as we can for them. If we can raise money for a therapy pony that would be amazing as Lewey always liked the idea of that. He would be really proud."
If you would like to donate to the Go Fund Me page, you can do so here.
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