Life throws unexpected things at us all the time. Some we like—such as finding a $20 bill on the sidewalk—but many of them we don’t, such as missing a flight due to an extra long line at airport security. Sometimes unexpected events can be much more serious, such as an illness or a job loss. Needless to say, these kinds of events can be quite distressing. Per reports, the 19-year-old man, later identified as Liam, reportedly collapsed and died of heart failure in front of his family. His family said that Liam collapsed moments after revealing his first mission call would be to his dream country – Japan. The tragedy occurred when the 19-year-old got the call from the Mormon church and began reading aloud his two-year missionary assignment.
According to SLT, Liam suddenly collapsed, falling backward onto the floor, never regaining his pulse. The family called for emergency paramedics but about an hour later, the 19-year-old was pronounced dead. Liam’s brother Kaelten said that he wasn’t aware of any health problems. ‘There were no signs of anything leading up to the day either,’ the sibling said. ‘It was such a shock that it feels unreal. It was truly an unexplainable tragedy.’
Liam’s family are now awaiting the results of an autopsy. His family described Liam as ‘ecstatic’ in the moments leading up to his sudden death and said they’d been hoping ‘with all his heart’ that he’d be sent to Japan. ‘He talked about nothing but his mission for the past year,’ Kaelten said. ‘It was his dream since he was young to serve his mission in Japan.’ The mood as Liam read the news had already been bittersweet, with family aware they might not see him for the next two years. You don’t really get to ask, it’s just a lottery pick of where you want to call.’
The family has launched a Gofundme to cover the ‘unexpected funeral expenses’ and has already accomplished it’s $30,000 goal. As of Saturday, the fundraiser had amassed just over $38K. ‘All of this is completely surreal, and being far from home creates so many difficult circumstances that we are reaching out for any help or assistance possible,‘ the Gofundme, written by Liam’s parents, stated. ‘We want to ensure that Liam can be laid to rest peacefully in the middle of all of this chaos. Thank you for the love and support we feel from all of you.’
