A BALLYDEHOB teen who died suddenly while on holidays in France has been remembered by his family as someone whose ‘kindness and compassion for others knew no boundaries and was ever present’.
Obi Thornhill, (17), beloved son of Corinna Fisher and Dan Thornhill, suffered an unexpected brain aneurysm while on holidays in France.
He was resuscitated and rushed by helicopter ambulance to hospital but tragically he passed away, surrounded by his loved ones, in the early hours of last Sunday.
His family have remembered Obi as a natural humanitarian who wanted to save the rain forest, help animals, and any human being in difficult situations across the world.
Obi’s interests were vast, they said, and he had an especially keen interest in history, world politics, world cultures, and archaeology. Being the son of two musicians, Obi had a love for a wide range of music, including opera, 90s ambient, pop, and film music, as well as starting his own musical journey by learning to play the drums and he would sing along to all that he heard.
He is remembered as a beautiful and expressive dancer and a great fan of Elton John.
‘Unlike most kids, he loved all kinds of seafood and savoury foods, and wouldn’t touch chocolate, sweets, or crisps. Obi’s quest for knowledge was endless, and his absolute recall of historical dates and incidents was amazing,’ said his family.
‘Recently on his 17th birthday, he visited the Independence Museum in Kilmurry, which consists of two fairly small rooms and Obi spent four hours absorbing all the information there. Obi Thornhill was a beautiful boy whose memory will be a blessing.’
A GoFundMe page which has been set up to support the family has received an overwhelming response and has so far generated more than €29,000 towards accommodation costs for family and support people in France, for as long as they need to stay, and also towards funeral costs in Ireland and any other associated costs.
GoFundMe link here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-obis-family
