A family who experienced unimaginable loss when their beautiful boy died overseas earlier this year—just two hours into their family holiday—have raised thousands of pounds in his memory.
Since launching their fundraiser less than a week ago, nearly £7,000 has already been donated in aid of the charity that helped bring him home to Northern Ireland so swiftly after his passing.
Edward James Watson Massey’s mother, Joanne, said her beloved son—whose fifth birthday was on Monday—“meant everything, not only to us but to all his friends and our extended families.”
Their world turned upside down in May when, just two hours into their family holiday in Tenerife, little Edward James Watson Massey suffered a cardiac arrest following a tragic swimming pool accident.
While his parents, sister, and extended family know their lives will never be the same again, they are doing everything they can to hold on—for the sake of Edward’s best friend and big sister, seven-year-old Victoria.
Edward’s passing is still painfully raw, and his absence is felt deeply every day.
Determined to honour their son in a meaningful way, Joanne and Richard gathered with friends on Monday evening, what would have been Edward’s fifth birthday, at Global Adventure Play in Ballynahinch—Edward’s favourite play centre, where he loved to run, laugh, and burn off energy. The private get-together was held in his honour, filled with love and remembrance.
In the midst of grief, the family has been overwhelmed by the outpouring of community support, not just for their emotional healing, but for the fundraiser they launched in aid of The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, the charity that made it possible to bring Edward home.
Joanne shared why this organisation now means so much to her.
“In May 2025, I learned the meaning of repatriation. We were two hours into our family holiday in Tenerife when Edward suffered cardiac arrest after a tragic pool accident. Our lives will never be the same again, but we are trying hard to get through—for the sake of our daughter.”
In the devastating aftermath, the Spanish authorities told Joanne and Richard it could take six weeks or more to bring Edward back to Northern Ireland. The thought of being so far from home while grieving their son added another unbearable weight to their heartbreak.
Thankfully, one of Edward’s uncles reached out to Colin Bell, founder of The Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust, based in Newry. Between Colin and the charity’s team, everything was taken care of.
“We got home with Edward six days later,” Joanne said. “I can’t imagine the extra stress we would’ve had without their support.”
It’s this life-changing kindness that inspired Joanne—despite her grief—to launch a public fundraising appeal in Edward’s name.
Using his birthday as her motivation, Joanne created a GoFundMe campaign on Thursday, and soon after, the donations began to pour in. Within days, nearly £7,000 had been raised for the trust.
She explained that the idea of doing something for Edward’s fifth birthday came from him—because he had talked about how he wanted to celebrate the day.
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