Hi, we are Colin McDonnell’s siblings. Colin passed away suddenly late on Friday 30th December, aged just 29. We don’t normally ask anything of this sort but feel it’s what Colin would be telling us to do.

If you knew Colin, or had any interaction with him, you know how amazing he was inside and out and how much he loved life. Despite his disability, Colin never moaned and always had a smile on his face and would always put one on yours.

As we all know, life is hard sometimes and now with the cost of living it’s even more expensive. We as a family cannot imagine life without Colin and this devastating news has affected us all, but we are wanting to raise funds to help toward his funeral cost. This isn’t a begging post, or anything like that, just an opportunity for anyone wishing to make a contribution to do so. We want to give him the best send-off that he truly deserves and, with your help, we can maybe achieve this.

If you can find it in your heart to donate towards this, then we will be very appreciative. It doesn’t matter if it’s £1 or £10, everything raised goes towards the cost of Colin’s funeral. Anything left over will go to our Mum to help her through this difficult time to try and make things just a little easier.

Colin had a genetic condition called Glutaric Aciduria Type 1, from birth, which meant he was a full-time wheelchair user and with this came certain challenges. Despite this, he and us as a family have never let this stop him from doing anything. If he wanted to do something or go somewhere, we would always make it happen.

Colin used technology to access the world. He was a whizz with switch control accessing his phone, playing video games, using his computer, driving his electric wheelchair - the list is endless, all with one switch on his headrest!

He would spend a lot of his time paying it forward. Anything he learned he would share by volunteering and teaching others, whether it was accessing technology (which seemed impossible for some) to playing and coaching Boccia (the sport that he loved) - and he was pretty damn good at it!

He was always helping other children and adults through their difficulties with accessing technology with his know-how, intelligence, and determination to make anything possible.

Colin wanted to go ice skating - we took him. He wanted to go sledging - we started with a blow-up boat and later built him a sledge. He wanted to swim with dolphins - we took him. He wanted to go to Disneyland Florida - we took him. Colin lived his life to the fullest and did so much, but also had so much more he wanted to do.

Thanks for your messages and love.

The McDonnell family xx