Yesterday morning, John?s Aunt, Helen Sainsbury, called the newspaper to say that he had passed away on Friday evening at about 5:00 p.m. at a clinic in Chetumal as he was returning home from completing his MRI test.

On Friday, after doctors conducted an MRI, he left Merida at around 3:00 p.m. Doctors said that it would take a few days for him to learn the result of the examinations.

John, however, who was traveling in the company of his stepfather, Franklin Rodriguez, became ill, and whilst in the air, suffered a heart attack at around 4:00 p.m. and died before he could be rushed to a clinic in Chetumal.

His aunt said that Franklin told them just before he began experiencing problems during the flight, that his head felt heavy, and asked if the pilot could turn back to Merida, as he wasn?t feeling well.

That was not possible, but BERT Personnel in control of the plane informed authorities of the boy?s condition and immediately made an emergency landing in Chetumal, but John?s condition had worsened by the time doctors reached him at the airstrip in Chetumal, and rushed him to a clinic. He was pronounced dead there.

His aunt recalled that the last things they told him before his departure that day were that they loved him and that they would see him soon.

The once energetic athlete, who loved playing basketball, was promised a jersey that he desired so much, said his aunt, and he was looking forward to wearing it upon his recovery.

According to Helen, doctors who performed a post-mortem on the body in Chetumal said he died from a heart attack.

The post-mortem showed that his left liver was swollen, his lungs were infected beyond repair, and that his brain was swollen.

John would have celebrated his 15th birthday this coming Tuesday, March 29. His only dream was to be a normal boy again and play basketball, his favorite sport.

As a Standard Six Student, up until the time of his sudden illness, he was preparing to sit the Primary School Examination (PSE) in April/May said his aunt as he had excelled in school, ranking 9ththis term.

The family is preparing to lay him to rest in his hometown, Seine Bight. Funeral services are scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday, at the St, Alphonsus Roman Catholic Church at 2:00 p.m.

John Augustine is survived by his mother, Carlota Augustine; father, Jose Martin; his stepfather, Franklin Rodriguez; grandparents, Florence and John Augustine, two brothers and two sisters.

(For more information on this article, please see our Sunday, March 20, 2005 issue of Amandala – ?Puzzling collapse of John Augustine, 14, of Seine Bight.?)