Chris never made it to university

Bev High, 57, had big hopes for her son, but now all she has left are memories

- MISHAAL KHAN

Curling up on the sofa with a cup of tea, I reached for the remote and put on a Japanese anime film. They were my son Chris’ favourite and we loved watching them together. But now, as I looked at the empty seat next to me, the tears soon came. It felt like an eternity since I’d last heard Chris’ gentle voiceand saw his beautiful smile.

My only child, Chris, was born in March 2000, and he brought me so much joy. An intelligent boy, Chris always had his head buried in a book. He was mature and loved to learn, asking for his first book about psychology in 2011, when he was just 11.

His dad and I split up when Chris was 15, which wasn’t easy for him, and while Chris lived with me, I cherished our time together. When he wasn’t reading or playing the latest video game, we had the most heartfelt chats. ‘You know more about me than anyone, Mum,’ he told me once when he was 16. I held onto that.

And I wasn’t the only one who enjoyed Chris’ company. He had lots of friends who were often round playing video games and online role-playing games, and he was always offering them a sympathetic ear if they needed to talk. I was so proud of the kind man that he was becoming.

But one night in January 2016, I was jolted awake by a howling coming from Chris’ room. I stumbled from bed, ran to him and watched in horror as my boy lay in bed, his body stiffening and convulsing. He was having a seizure. I called 999 and followed the operator’s instructions to put Chris on his side and prevent the risk of choking. By the time we reached hospital, he’d stabilized, and doctors were unable to determine the cause because it’d been his first seizure. So we went home, hoping that it was a one-off.