Ben Horton, 14, was found unconscious in his home in Stockport, Greater Manchester, and was rushed to hospital where the decision was made to turn off his life support on Saturday
A heartbroken mum paid tribute to her “beautiful boy” after she found him “unconscious” with his lips and fingertips blue in bed.
Mum Zoe Thompson found her 14-year-old son Ben Horton in bed unconscious at their home in Stockport, Greater Manchester, on January 9. He was rushed to hospital where he was put on life support for two days but he never recovered.
On Saturday, the decision was made to turn off his life support. Zoe has since paid tribute to her “angel,” saying she could not have asked for a better son and has since asked the community to pull together in order to give him “the best send off he deserves.”
“I really did not think I would be writing something like this,” she said on a GoFundMe campaign that was set up to support the family. “On the 9th Jan at 7.10am we went to wake Ben up for school and found him unconscious, his lips and fingertips were blue.
“We rang 999 then I had to start CPR which you do not ever expect to be doing on your 14-year-old son. Ambulance and police arrived quickly to help Ben and we were transported to Manchester Royal Children’s Hospital. Ben was very critical and put on life support.
“He was very unstable, the doctors and nurses did many scans, bloods and many more tests to find that the oxygen had been cut from Ben’s brains for a while which caused his brain to swell and damaged some brains cells. Doctors said Ben had a 50/50 chance of pulling though. Ben wasn’t reacting to lights and his eyes was fixed and the life support was doing all the work for him.
“After battling for two long days and nights Ben still wasn’t reacting, he sadly didn’t pull through. Ben tried your hardest but today Saturday 11/01/2025 his life support will be turned off at 12pm.”
According to Manchester Evening News, Zoe added she was “totally heartbroken” and she would “always remember her son’s last words. She added: “Please remember I love you beautiful boy.
“Ben you are my angel and I couldn’t have asked for a better son you was my world. Let’s pull together as a community and give Ben the best send off he deserves. Fly high beautiful boy.”
Tributes have since poured in for Ben on a Facebook page shared by the Sir Robert Peel hotel, who are now collecting donations in order to support the family.
“I remember coming to a Stockport Academy awards evening and Ben lifted my spirits with his smile singing on the stage,” Bryan Potts-Hargreaves wrote. “He was a beautiful soul for all to see. Much love and thoughts to this lovely boys family.”
“Ben was such a lovely, polite, caring boy, he always had a smile on his face, my heart goes out to his family at this devastating time, thinking of you all and sending so much love,” Sophie Stevens added.
The GoFundMe campaign has raised more than £9,290 out of a £3,000 target. To view the GoFundMe campaign, click here.
