On Saturday the 24th June 2023 a football Memorial Day was organised in respect of a wonderful young man Luke Abrahams who passed away on the 23rd January 2023. He passed away suddenly of necrotising fasciitis, which had started from strepA throat. Luke left behind so many friends and family, who all are still in shock and managed to attend this wonderful day in celebration of Luke’s life. Around 600 people attended all wanting to pay their respects and to support the event.
About the memorial football event
“Luke’s younger brother, Jake, and friend Cal Harris organised a memorial match at Roade Football Club, which saw Luke’s former teams – Hunsbury Hawks FC, AFC Spinney, Blisworth FC and a side made up of Luke’s friends and family – play a mini-tournament on Saturday, June 24[1]”.
[1] Northampton Chronicle and Echo, In pictures: Hundreds gather at memorial football match for 20-year-old Northampton amateur footballer who died suddenly | Northampton Chronicle and Echo, 28th June 2023.
A minutes silence was held before the first match. Then Luke’s mother Julie and father Richard started the first match. It was such a sad day all feeling proud to have known Luke but yet all where still grieving.
Fundraising to raise awareness of necrotising fasciitis
Many people at the event and in the community helped with the sale of cakes and providing raffle prize donations. Luke’s parents thanked local businesses and the Roade community especially for the kind donations as well as the football clubs and Luke’s friends and family for helping to make it possible. A wonderful £3,000 was raised for The Lee Spark NF Foundation Registered Charity 1088094 to them continue their work in research and raising awareness.
About Luke Abrahams’ case
An investigation is currently under way in relation to the sad loss of Luke earlier this year after developing necrotising fasciitis.
Luke was initially diagnosed with Tonsilitis and prescribed antibiotics but the infection spread over the coming days and he developed necrotising fasciitis before dying in hospital in the operating theatre on the 23rd January 2023[2].
We await the results of the investigation.
A stop to over-the-phone consultations is called for
Luke’s parent’s consider a catalogue of errors by the NHS, including an over-the-phone appointment with a GP, to have contributed to Luke’s death. They are calling for an end to phone appointments in a bid to helping such tragedies to be avoided.
Awareness of necrotising fasciitis and better education in the medical profession is needed
In our video aimed at raising awareness of Group A strep infections and necrotising fasciitis in medical professionals. Dr Marina Morgan states how young and fit people who contract Strep A will often not be diagnosed with necrotising fasciitis until very late on – further highlighting the need for better education and early action:
“The big problem with Group A Streptococcus infection. Is that it’s such an aggressive bug, they will hit the really fit healthy individuals. It hits athletes, so people who play rugby will think they’ve pulled a muscle and it’s actually Necrotising Fasciitis. It’s no discriminator and you can’t assume that because somebody’s otherwise looking quite fit that they haven’t got a very significant infection. And particularly for the younger people, their coping mechanisms are quite good. And so they don’t drop their blood pressure and they don’t look that sick until very late on in the infection.”
Dr Marina Morgan
With thanks from Dee and the Lee Spark NF Foundation Team
We would like to thank everyone involved in the event for showing loving kindness to the memory of Luke and the brilliant contribution made to the charity that has come from the event. Without such contributions, our work is not possible.
Our thoughts are with his family at this difficult time.
The Lee Spark NF Foundation Team xx
With thanks to Kirsty Edmonds for the featured image above, taken from article in the Northampton Chronicle & Echo : In pictures: Hundreds gather at memorial football match for 20-year-old Northampton amateur footballer who died suddenly | Northampton Chronicle and Echo
[2] ITV News, Northampton footballer’s family blast NHS after son told his flesh-eating bug was tonsillitis | ITV News Anglia, 22nd February 2023.