Dear everyone,
Our darling Steven passed away in our arms this afternoon at 3pm, surrounded by our deep, deep love and tenderness.
Evelyn, Matthew, Feargal and Aideen
PS: Once final arrangements have been organized, the details will be posted on this website.
Welcome
Welcome to this website which has been created to record Steven’s experiences throughout his stem cell transplant. Steven is happy that this information is shared with you all and that you also have the opportunity to share your thoughts and comments with us.
The Story So Far
In 2004, at the age of 21, Steven had just completed an honours degree in economics and politics. He decided to take a gap year to reflect on further study and future career options. In January '05 Steven went to have a general physical examination in a Bangkok hospital. Surprisingly, a routine blood test showed that he was extremely anaemic. A bone marrow aspiration indicated a diagnosis of bone marrow failure requiring Steven's immediate return to Europe to undergo further tests and treatment.
Back in Europe, a cytogenetic analysis soon revealed that Steven had Fanconi anaemia - one of the rarest congenital disorders which afflicts an estimated 3 per million of the general population. This is a genetically inherited disorder, acquired when a single recessive gene is passed onto a child from each parent. Normally Fanconi anemia sufferers are diagnosed at birth or during childhood as they exhibit an array of physical abnormalities and medical problems. Steven displayed none of these and actually had experienced a life of exceptional good health.
In the case of Fanconi anaemia, although a bone marrow transplant is the only effective cure for the bone marrow failure, it is generally poorly tolerated. As a result, a near perfect match between donor and recipient marrow is crucial. Feargal, Steven’s only brother, is only a 50% tissue match, and to date, no matched donor has been found on the extensive international bone marrow registries. Steven is to undergo transplantation at the Hôpital St. Louis in Paris, which is the most specialized centre for Fanconi anaemia in Europe. The stem cells he will receive in his transplant have been derived from cord blood collected at two separate births. Although they are experts in cord blood procedures in Paris, this is the first time they will perform a double cord blood transplant on an adult Fanconi anaemia patient.
Steven has been very defiant in the face of his diagnosis and has made very few compromises with his medical condition. He is determined to continue his life undaunted and plans to return to complete his MSc studies in International Development in Manchester following his transplant.
68 comments:
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal. We are deeply saddened to hear that Steven, your darling son and brother, has passed away . His spirit is still with you and will be with you always.
Kenny, Mary and Jessica.
Jessica wishes to add:
He will live his dream but in a different world to ours. I will continue to light my candle for Steven.
sweet dreams my darling, i love you xxx
Evelyn, Matthew, Feargal,
I just don't know what to say.
Steven was such a close friend and we shared so many happy memories together growing up and becoming adults. My only solace is that I know (and had the joy of witnessing) him living life to the very full, surrounded by those who loved and cherished their time with him.
With all my love (and that of all who know you so well in the Sheffield family).
Nick
Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal
Like my father I dont really know what to say. Steven has been places and seen things I have yet to see. He lived his life to the fullest and his bravary is a testiment to how loving, strong and supportive you all are!!.
All our LOVE!!!
Niamh and lil Aoife
xxxxxxxx
We are so sad to learn of Steven's passing. We have followed Steven's brave battle over the past months and really wished and hoped for such a different outcome. Our deepest sympathy and prayers to you all - Fiona, Colm, Sorcha and Murray - "death leaves a heartache no-one can heal, loves leaves a memory no-one can steal" - old Irish proverb
Evelyn, Matthew and Fergal,
Words can't describe our sadness. Steven has been so much a part of Ellen's life. She was blessed to have been part of his. You have all shown such love and courage.
Love,
Máire and Kevin.
Words elude me.
My deepest sympathies and condolences to the whole family.
Steven; a genuine mate in a million, always up for a real laugh and a game of footy. I will cherish those great times down the road from your house on that pitch.
Rest in peace dear friend.
Alec
A former student in Brussels, I remember Steve from many years back. I was immensely saddened to hear of his passing away and I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to all his family.
Dear Evelyn, Matthew,Feargal and Ellen. We are so so saddened by todays news. Our deepest sympathy to you all. You have all been so brave, so caring and loving towards us all. Allowing us to share in Stevens journey has been the act of someone very generous. Our sympathy also goes to all the families and friends who shared that journey - all with high hopes that the tomorrows would bring some improvement. It is very evident how much Steven has meant to his family, relatives, friends and colleagues.
Love and condolences
from
Auntie Mae, Joe and family xxx xxx
I'll always remember Steve as one of the nicest and most genuine guys i've ever had the privilege of calling my friend.
I'll always remember the great times we had in Manchester and watching Liverpool together.
My deepest sympathies and condolences to Steves family and Ellen.
You'll never walk alone.
Dear Evelyn, Matthew, Fergal and Ellen
My deepest sympathies go out to you at this difficult time. Steven was a wonderful person, who loved life, but I am thankful that he is no longer suffering or in pain.
With all my love,
Helen
-x-
My sincere and profound condolences. My thoughts and prayers are with all of you.
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal, our deepest sympathies and condolences to you all. We can only imagine the heartbreak you feel and we wish you every strength to cope with the sad loss of Steven.
Dear Evelyn Matthew and Feargal,
Our deepest sympathy and condolences to you all.
Our thoughts are with you
Peter Carole and Charlie
My deepest sympathy to you all. May Steven rest in Peace.
Mary Fran (Kilkenny)
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
I am so sad to hear that Steven passed away- it's truely heartbreaking. Steven was a friend in a million and I know that he will be missed so very much. Life without Steven won't be the same but he will never be forgotten and he will always be missed.
All my thoughts and love are with you and Steven.
Lola
Dear Evelyn Matthew and Fergal.
My heart aches for you have all, you and Steven have been thru so much together.
Rest in peace Steven.
God Bless you all.
Our Love
Iney & Ray (Keppler)
We can't imagine the pain you are feeling right now. Our hearts go out to you and we pray that you have the strength to get through this.
Our deepest sympathy goes out to you all and you are in our prayers.
Nuala, Perry, Niamh & Connor
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
There are no words to convey our sadness for the passing away of Steven. Our deepest sympathies and condolences.
Cristina and Bert
Dear Evelyn,Matthew and Feargal,
We are deeply saddened that you have lost Steven -your much loved son and brother.We send you our heartfelt sympathy.
Pam and Tim Hall
Chers Evelyn et Matthew,
C'est avec une grande tristesse que j'ai appris le décés de votre fils après ces mois de lutte et de courage.
Dans ces moments douleureux, toute ma sympathie et ma tendresse vont vers vous et vos proches.
Luc B.
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
I am so sorry and so deeply saddened to hear about Steven. He will be truly and forever be deeply loved and missed!!
My love and thoughts are you!
and Steven you know where to find us.
SJ
XXX
"Love is stronger than death. Even though it can't stop death from happening, but no matter how hard death tries it can't separate people from love.
It can't take away our memories either. In the end, life is stronger than death.”
Rest In Peace Steven.
xxx
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal.
I am at a loss for words. Steven was such a huge part of my life and the best friend anyone could ever ask for.
My deepest condolences to you all.
Sion
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
Our deepest sympathy. We just cannot believe what has happened and are all walking round in a traumatised daze. There is a whole Community of people in Brussels, Ireland and the UK completely touched by this. We are all with you in despair, grief and love.
Strength to you all.
Astrid, Nigel, Nicholas and Lois.
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal
Steven was a friend of all of us.
We will miss him a lot.
Our deepest condolences to you all.
All the french people : audrey,manue,thomas and romain.
Deepest sympathy and condolences,
Rest in peace.
Elizabeth(Crean)
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
We are so sad to hear this news, Steven was a good friend to us all,
Our very deepest condolences,
Farah, Ricardo, Jimmy, Andy and Alexia
Oíche mhaith Steve Grá mór i gconaí do chol ceathar Laura de Paor x x x x
Bye Steven, you'll always be with us in hearts, minds, and prayers. Love you xxx
I still can't believe Steve has passed. I've known Steve for many years and will cherish fond memories - from playing footy in the playroom to having drinks on the beach in Spain. He'd seen me grow up.
You will be deeply missed mate.
Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal please try and stay strong through your time of overwhelming pain. I know Steve would'nt want you too be upset. All my love and thoughts are with you.
Charlie
Evelyn, Matthew, Feargal.
I can't describe how sad I am.
I would like to send my most sincere condolences and assure you that I will never forget Steven.
Ricardo Martínez and family (Venezuela)
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
All of my deepest condolences to you and your family.I am truely sorry for your loss, and the loss to everyone who knew Steven.
Steven, run free unwavering friend. I miss you.
All of my love
Amna
Dear Matthew, Evelyn, Feargal,
I will miss Steven very much. He was an amazing and truly kind hearted person. I have many nice memories which I will cherish forever. You are all that anyone could have asked for in a friend and more. I love and respect you dearly.
Our sympathies and love to you all. Steven will always hold a special place in our hearts.
Bhardwaj Family
Dear Evelyn, Matthew, Feargal.
I would like to send you my most sincere condolences. I met Steven in Ashburne Hall during the first year of his MSc.
I will never forget him. I had the pleasure of having him as a friend.
Marco Miranda (Portugal)
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal, We are very sorry to hear that Steven has passed away. Our love and prayers are with you now.
Tim, Mary & Kieran
My sympathy goes out to you all. I will always remember Steven and the lovely times we had growing up at school together.
Lots of love,
Dervla
Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
My sincere condolences to you all.
I didn't know Steven very well but he was always very warm and welcoming with me and I only wish I had got to know him better.
May he rest in peace.
Daniel
My deepest sympathy goes out to you all at this heartbreaking time!
You are in my thoughts and prayers
Rest In Peace Steven...
Serena x
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
Michelle and I are deeply saddened by the news. We are with you in these difficult moments and extend our deepest condolences to you. May Steven's spirit continue to live.
With all our love,
Michelle and Jean-Louis
Dear Evelyn, Matthew, Feargal,
It is with great sadness that we learned about Steven's passing. We would like you to know that your family is in our hearts and in our prayers. Our condolences,
Anne and Jean-Marc
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal, It is with profound saddness that we hear about what you and Steven have been through, and now his passing away after so much courage, love and determination. We remember him as a youngster, growing up and living his life to the full. We are so sorry that we somehow lost contact with you during this time and regret not being there to offer you our support and friendship. You and Steven will always be in our thoughts, prayers and hearts. Take the greatest care of yourselves. Much love, Sue and Bram.
Dear Matthew, Evelyn and Feargal,
Over the years you have always done your best for Steve, and his memory will always remain. We are thinking of you all,
Martyn
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
Our deepest sympathy to you all. Our thoughts and prayers are with you in your heart breaking loss. May Steven rest in Peace.
Mary and Brid.
Sending you my condolences and strength in this difficult time. I will always remember Steven, his smile and his wit. Love to you all,
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
May Steven rest in peace.
You and your family are in my thoughts and prayers.
Raffaele L.
We are so sorry and you are very much in our thoughts.
Your colleagues in AIDCO G2
Dear Mathew,
I am writing on behalf of many colleagues who know you in the Directorate and who have such a great deal of respect for you as both a colleague and friend.
I was deeply saddened to hear of the death of your son, Steve. It must be an extremely hard loss to overcome and I hope that you can draw strength from your fond memories of Steven, and from your friends and loved ones that hold you in their thoughts.
I, along with many colleagues in the Directorate, send my deepest sympathy. Our thoughts are with you during this difficult time.
Costas Stathopoulos
Rest In Peace Steven, thanks for all the laughs...I will always remember you as someone I grew up with and learned the first few lessons of life with.
Glad to have seen you this summer, I only wish I could see you next summer as well.
Hugs to you all,
Alex
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Fergal,
There are no words to describe the loss of such a great person, but your updates have shown everybody just what an incredibly amazing person Steven was, and how lucky we are to have had him in our lives.
The good memories Steven has given us will be dearly cherished. Thank you so much for finding the strength to keep us updated during such a difficult time.
My most sincere condolences go to his family,
Alison D.
I cannot begin to understand all the ways in which I will miss you my friend. I will always be grateful for all that I learnt from you and the precious memories that you gave me.
Evelyn, Matthew, Feargal: my most sincere condolences and deepest sympathy.
Kev
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
Our deepest sympathy goes out to you! May he rest in peace.
Love,
Marilyn and Heidy
Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
We are so sorry to hear of Steven's loss, and can only imagine what you have all gone through in the past few months. You are all in our thoughts and prayers,
Love from Maryse and Ronan
Your life was one of kindly deeds
A helping hand for others needs
Sincere and true in heart and mind
Beautiful memories left behind.
Rest in peace Steven.
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
I am very saddened to hear about this news. I knew Steven from the European School at Ixelles.
My thoughts are with you,
Damian Brennan
I've only had the chance to meet Steve a few brief times, but based on those encounters, the impression he left me was that of an intelligent, well-behaved and good-spirited young man ready to take on life's challenges. Alas, this one challenge was just too big to be won.
My thoughts go to the family in this most difficult time. I don't like the word "mourning", as it seems to imply that one has a predetermined period of time to "get over" the pain. In my experience, the pain never goes away, but with time one learns to no longer be overwhelmed by it.
RIP Steve
Libero
I am deeply, deeply saddened to hear of such a massive loss. I can only hope that you find some solace in knowing that Steven is free from anymore pain, and that he is loved and missed by every single person who knew him.
Sending you love and strength to help you cope during this tragic time.
Eibhlinn L.
My most sincere and heartfelt condolences to you all. I always had a lot of respect for Steve at school - an inspiration I'll always remember. Last time I saw him was in the pub in Brussels with Ellen, the two of you, happy together. All the best.
Steve,
I was fortunate enough to have had the pleasure of knowing you during our time together at Ashburne Hall.
Many a good night was had that year and I was really looking forward to seeing you back in Manchester at February.
Although it saddens me that this will not happen, the memories I have of you will always bring a smile and hopefully one of these days we will be able to have that drink we planned.
You were a great friend who will always be missed and never forgotten and my most sincere condolences go to your family and friends.
Will
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal. It is so hard to express in words the deep sadness felt at the news that Seven's had lost his brave battle. I only had the pleasure of spending one afternoon with Steven at your house in Brussels and I found him to be a wonderful young man and great company. He will be so missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. I hope you find the strength you need to help you through this the hardest of all things you could possibly have to deal with in your lives. Our hearts and prayers are with you all.
Love
Angela and Harry
I am so sorry to hear about this tragic loss. Stephen is in my thoughts and prayers.
Aine Dempsey
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
I was shocked and deeply saddened to hear of your tragic loss.
Please accept my deepest sympathy and know that I am thinking of you at this very difficult time. May you have continued strength over the next weeks, months and years.
With my very best wishes,
Shirley Gunn.
I'm so sorry to hear that Steven has passed away.It's been a long time since I last saw him but I have fond memories of us all growing up in school together. He'll be missed greatly by everyone who knew him.
Sending my love and sympathy to you all.
Dara
Dear Matthew,
accept my deepest condolences and all my sympathy to you and your family in this painful and particularly difficult moment of your lives.
Giorgio
Dear Steve
Thanks for all the great memories at Manchester University. You were always such a great lad and will always be remembered.
Rest in Peace Steve
Andrew
Dear Evelyn, Matthew and Feargal,
For this tragic loss - please accept our sincere condulences and deepest sympathy.
We all feel with you and are saddened deeply.
Rudolf und Gloria Aschauer
Hansi, Ali
Farewell fellow pilgrim. May your onward journey be blessed in the Light of Love.
I remember that a few years ago, Steve sent an email round to a few friends. In it he was trying to relate in words a profound experience, or insight if you will, that came to him whilst on vacation in Mexico with his family.
Sadly I can no longer retrieve its contents. The gist of it however I fully recognised - he felt an 'awakening' - a realisation brought on when one remembers with one's whole being that this is just a ride, a place where souls converge then move on.
He had conquered his fears and subsequently radiated this in many subtle ways. Long hot afternoons by the pool in Overijse, this gentle soul was always there for you. Calm, tranquil, a child in deed, super-ancient soul in mind.
Never one to impose, he once let me finish whatever jabber-wokky I was airing, and said:
"Why do you always feel that you have to say something? Sometimes there isn't anything to say. Does silence make you uncomfortable?!"
[not an admonishment; he was trying to help me SEE something about myself!]
A wry smile came upon his face. We laughed. He passed me the joint. And there we sat, communicating in silence, listening from the heart.
Permit me to repost:
out beyond ideas of
wrong doing and right doing
there is a field.
I´ll meet you there.
Where the soul lies down in
that grass,
the world is too full to
talk about.
Ideas, languages, and even the phrase
¨each other¨
doesn´t make any sense.
- Rumi
Thanx Steve. See you soon ;)
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