Vivaldo - A Mother's Tribute by vivaldo1

F O R E V E R

L O V E D

To my Beloved Son Dear Viv, I remember how I looked forward to meeting you upon finding out I was having a boy. After having your two beautiful sisters, I couldn’t wait to experience my share of the much talked about bond that existed between mothers and their sons. Ours was something else, more so because you were such an easy baby, child and adolescent to bring up. You were very caring and sensitive to other people’s needs. A big smiler and joker, both in sickness and in health. Remember when we went to Safari Cinema to watch Mulan when your sisters were in Scotland with the Crusaders? We had such fun the two of us, then you lost your kente cap you liked so much. Remember our joke Perfect Blue from an episode of Casualty we watched together? Oh, you and I were so connected. Our trips all over the UK on Redwing Coaches with Dionne and Xavia, and our trip to Euro Disney. I almost left you on the coach alighting on our return from one of those trips and my heart dropped. I never heard the end of it. There was no other option for me when you got struck down so early in life and I knew in that very moment I would devote myself to you, to the very end. You were 30 years old when you finally succumbed to the devastating effects of advanced Multiple Sclerosis after battling this disease for 10 years. You were a fiery soldier even though you lost your sight and were bedridden for 7 years needing total personal care. You endured severe tremors, then seizures and stiffness of limbs with your hands always folded in front of you unable to stretch. You overcame pressure wounds of unimaginable magnitude and you were still smiling. It was a real joy taking care of you all these years and one of my greatest achievements in life. Against the odds, Viv, you had such great faith that you will rise up again and fulfil your dream of becoming a youth counsellor and be able to join your church in Selhurst to continue working as the sound technician. Your pain became our pain. Your faith strengthened our faith. Your smile and gratitude encouraged us to do even more for you. We continued to hold on to our faith even when it appeared God didn’t make sense, and your unwavering hope kept us believing in a miracle. Viv, in talking about the Sovereignty of God, you and I spoke a few years into your illness about being with the Lord and not fulfilling what you desired. You had no fear of that, knowing you will be with your Lord and will be with family in heaven. I marvelled at your great faith and total acceptance of God’s will. I salute you Great Soldier in the army of the Lord. I love you from here to the moon and back. It was a pleasure being your mother for 30 years. Although I would have loved a more befitting end to a life which offered so much potential and beauty, I’m happy that you’re finally free. Where you are, the frailty of your body can no longer hold you down. You are indeed free. Sleep, my beloved Viv and take your rest. God be with you till we meet again at the feet of Jesus. Perfect Blue!!!

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16.

Brief

Background History On 8th November 2010 the unthinkable happened and Vivaldo’s world and ours turned around with these words by his consultant at Mayday Hospital in London, “I am sorry to tell you, after all the physical examinations and studying the MRI images, that Vivaldo has Multiple Sclerosis.” The course of Viv’s life changed forever, three weeks before his 21st birthday. Two years before diagnosis Viv loved football. Arsenal was his favourite team. He also liked to play and was part of the Selhurst Evangelical Church football team. One day after football practice he came home complaining of pins and needles on his legs. An appointment was made for him to see the GP and the assurance was that it was a common thing and not to worry about it but it will go away. It did go away, and Viv continued to enjoy playing football for about two years before another symptom occurred. Year of Diagnosis In June 20I0 I was visiting a friend in Streatham when Viv called me to report that he suddenly had blurred vision. I didn’t think much of it but my friend who has had vision problems herself from our childhood told me not to ignore any eye problems. When I got home I told Viv he would go to Specsavers for an eye test the next day. He came home rather quickly with a referral letter to Mayday Eye Clinic after a short examination. I went with him the next day. Several tests were done and a diagnosis of Optic Neuritis was given. Still, we didn’t think much about it and we were about to travel to Ghana to celebrate my 50th birthday so we had other things on our minds. We were advised to see an ophthalmologist in Accra if the blurred vision persisted since there wasn’t time to start treatment before our journey. Viv saw an eye doctor in Ghana, was given

steroids and told the problem would be resolved. It did for the duration of his stay in Ghana and he left for the UK with Xavia in August. I followed later while Dionne stayed in Ghana.

walking which eased the pressure on my shoulder. When we got home a call came from the scan department and we were given 14th October for the scan. What a relief, I thought.

On 25th September 2010 I returned to London and Viv came to meet me at the airport to help me with my bags on the train journey. Everything seemed ok when we started the journey, but halfway through I began to notice Viv was slowing down and having difficulty managing the steps at the stations when we changed trains. I became very concerned when I noticed his left foot dragging. I had to manage all the bags and help him till we got home. The next day, his vision got blurry again so I took him back to the eye specialist at Mayday. A few more tests were done and without explanation we were given another referral to neurology. I kept asking about his leg that was still dragging but no one said anything about it. We were told an appointment would be sent for an MRI scan so we went home.

On 14th October 2010 he had the MRI and I was in the room with him. It was quite daunting watching all that was going on. I asked when we would have the results and we were told if there were any serious issues he would be called immediately. So when we didn’t hear anything for three weeks we relaxed and thought surely, it’s nothing serious. Then the bombshell hit; hearing the pronouncement on 8th November... Vivaldo has Multiple Sclerosis.

He was back at university and I had to accompany him on the trains to get there, while he held on to my shoulder. As the leg dragging got worse, I took him to A&E about it and complained about the delay in getting the appointment for the MRI. A kind junior doctor called the scan department and spoke to them. Meanwhile, Viv was given a crutch to help with the

Early days after diagnosis It was difficult informing family about his condition. Unfortunately, many people did not know much or anything at all about MS so it didn’t quite sink in what was happening. A week after diagnosis, Viv woke up feeling there was a turnaround. His sight was great, limp was gone and fog in the brain had cleared. We were very happy, not realising the long, difficult and painfully devastating journey ahead. I suppose we would have been horrified if we had had insight into the future then. His full story is for another time when God grants me the grace to write a book about Viv.

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Vivaldo Bill Buenartey Puplampu was born on Monday, 27th November 1989 at Kings College Hospital in London to parents Bill Buenar Puplampu and Christiana Okankai Okang Puplampu. In his early years, he attended Ichthus Primary School in London and University Primary School in Accra. 1996 – 2001 Parish Church Primary School, Croydon, UK 2001 – 2004 St Mary’s High School, Croydon, UK 2004 – 2006 Presec Boys Senior High School, Ghana 2006 – 2007 St Mary’s High School, Croydon, UK 2007 – 2009 Langley Park School for Boys Sixth Form College, Kent, UK 2009 – 2012 University of East London, UK On Friday, 28th February 2020, Vivaldo departed to be with the Lord quietly and peacefully, after battling with the aggressive form of Multiple Sclerosis for 10 years.

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WE LIVED. WE LAUGHED. WE LOVED. VIV, YOU’LL LIVE IN OUR HEARTS FOREVER. ‘DXV’ ALWAYS!

To our one and only beloved brother Vivaldo. Where do we even start? How do we attempt to compress all those precious years of life, love and laughter? How do we encapsulate the myriad of emotions we experienced since the day of your diagnosis? Or talk about everything that made you so special, all your amazing quirks and qualities, knowing we’ll never experience them again in this life? The loss is deep. But our faith is deeper. So just as you did, we’ll draw strength from grace and smile through the storm giving hope, light and encouragement to others in the most trying of times. Looking back at our childhood, we realise how incredibly blessed we were to have each other. We had our squabbles every now and then, but our sibling bond was truly unbreakable. Having you as our little brother was most definitely a joy and an honour. There are so many memories. Our bike rides and berry picking. Walking to and from school, always spotting something that amused us and laughing about it for days on end. Eagerly awaiting 5pm on weekdays to watch an episode of Dragon Ball Z, after you succeeded in getting us insanely hooked on the show. And Christmas 1997, surprised with our Sega video game console, fuelling a shared passion for gaming between you and Dionne. Laughter was an ever-present feature of our relationship. Often laughing so hard we’d end up in tears and literally gasping for air. Remember your hilarious train incident with mum? We still crack up about it to this day. You were cool and calm but also fun-

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loving and a real joker. Your impressions of Xavia humming away while munching on something she enjoyed were classic. You were so sneaky and good at scaring her too, leaving us in fits of laughter yet again. Then there were your pranks on Dionne with that giant rubber fly she loathed as it resembled her eight-legged ‘friends’. Viv, we were beyond proud of the fine young gentleman you matured into as the years went by. Intelligent, level-headed, dedicated, thoughtful and generous with an aura of friendliness which captivated so many. You were extremely easy on the eyes too. With eye lashes ladies wished they had and that gorgeous smile epitomizing the beauty of your inner being. You were kind and gentle but also possessed a unique boldness and strength. A young man of integrity who stood up for truth and had a heart for God. You loved us, we loved you and we always had each other’s backs. Neither of us will ever forget hearing the news of your MS diagnosis for the first time. Chilling waves of shock and fear shook us vigorously to the core. It’s been a long and harrowing journey since that fateful day. But through it all you were a star, smiling and shining your light brighter than ever. You suffered so many unimaginable challenges, yet you never complained. Never. You were a legend, a true inspiration. We had hoped and prayed for a miracle, for a glorious testimony of God’s healing power. But God called you home instead.

It’s a constant struggle to adjust with so many little things that remind us of you daily. Like catching one of your favourite movies on TV. Or hearing a Coldplay song on the radio. We can still picture your head bobbing up and down with pure delight as you listen to ‘Viva La Vida’, one of your favourites. And then of course, anything to do with Arsenal FC! You would have been an amazing uncle. It breaks our hearts your niece and nephews will grow up in a world without you. Ikeno misses you and sometimes asks when we can visit you and Jesus :) Zendaya, as young as she is, still says “Uncle Viva” with a smile whenever she sees your picture. Jasai, sadly, never had the pleasure of meeting you but he will surely know who you were. They will all know of their uncle’s big heart, great bravery and strength. We miss you Viv, more than you could possibly imagine. It’s painfully difficult for our hearts and minds to fully accept this new reality. Thirty years with you wasn’t enough. But ten years of you battling this aggressive disease was far too much. You fought well dear brother. Knowing you’re now free and the best you’ve ever been is indeed a comfort. This is not the end; we shall meet again, and it will be one of the great glories of heaven! Rest well little brother. You’ll live in our hearts forever. ‘DXV’ always! Love, Dee & Xav 

Viv, you were one of the warmest people I ever met. Our brief time together was enough for me to know that under different circumstances, we would have been close brothers for life. The brother I always wished I had. Benjy To my brother! In such a short space of time you have left a timeless impression on so many. And we will do all we can to ensure your memory continues. Stephan Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll miss you Uncle Viva!! Lots of love from your nephews and niece, Ikeno, Zendaya & Jasai ď &#x2122;

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Tribute to Vivaldo by Pastor Rob Pickering These crisps are out of date.” came the voices in unison. “Are they?” replied the Friday night youth worker. “Yes. You are not allowed to sell out of date crisps.” “I agree. We better throw them away. Unless you want them?” “Yes please!” Came the delighted replies. And so was one of my earliest memories of Vivaldo and his friend Jason at the Friday Night Youth Club at Selhurst Church. They would carefully look through all the items in the youth tuck shop each week in the hope to find any just out of date products. They ended up walking away with crisps or sweets at a 100% discount on more than one occasion. I think it was their plan all along. Many of us had the privilege of watching Vivaldo make the transition from that 12 year old boy, into a young man who studied hard at university and who matured with grace into a fine young gentleman. Most importantly, we witnessed his journey to a saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ which was evident for the church to see. In his own words, “I accepted I was a sinner and needed Christ.” “I strongly believe . . .that God gave His one and only Son to die on the cross for me, so that my sins would be forgiven.” His life was taken up with the things he loved the most. His mum Chris and sisters Dionne and Xavia, his church family at Selhurst, his studies and his hobbies, which most definitely included football! Vivaldo would speak to me about life in general, about matters of the

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heart and most importantly about his family (especially his mum). It was clear she was his superstar. I often had the privilege of learning about how she raised Vivaldo, Dionne and Xavia, under great pressure and through much hard work. Vivaldo was so proud of the way his mum would always be there for him and his sisters, no matter where she was, what the situation nor how tough. She always came through. She was the love of His life. Vivaldo had a servant heart and was involved in the life of the church in lots of different ways. Most memorable was his committed faithful service on the church sound desk Sunday by Sunday. This ensured that the Word preached was the Word heard. He also played a vital role as football coach for the Selhurst Church football academy. He did a great job in both of these roles, but it was the football academy where he was a real hit. The children would gravitate towards him and he was super popular. He was good at football. He would run so fast and could jump so high. He loved the fact that his pastor was slowing down with age and would take great delight in sprinting past him! When it came to the football matches at the end of each day and the children were assigned a coach to manage them, Vivaldo’s name received the loudest chants. Many things made us laugh together but two stand out in my mind. The first was his birthday. It was 3 days before mine and whenever I was presented with a birthday cake in the

church hall he was always standing nearby. He rejoiced greatly that he got in on the act. In the end he started getting his own cake and each time we stood in the church hall and our birthdays were remembered, I would often jokingly whisper “You’re gate crashing my party.” With a big smile on his face and with great delight he would reply “I know.” And we’d both start laughing together. The second was a little phrase we used to share together – “It’s all about the fellowship.” He loved the blessing of being at church together with the whole church family and counted it a blessing to have fellowship with other Christians. However, on a number of occasions he’d be doing a less than pleasant job. It was at those times we’d look at each other and say, “It’s all about the fellowship”, then burst out laughing. Vivaldo was a young man mature beyond his years who was actively involved in the life of the church and loved by us all. In 2010 Vivaldo started to mention aches and pains and not feeling the best. He played for the church football team and I initially thought it might be related to post match body stress. In November that year, much to everyone’s great sadness, he was diagnosed with MS. His health began to decline and some time later Vivaldo went back to Ghana to live and be at rest.

I thank God upon every memory of him. He was warm, gentle, kind, caring, thoughtful, conscientious, hardworking, intelligent and Godly. I counted it a privilege to be his youth leader, his pastor and his friend. I won’t forget saying goodbye to him that last time. I did not realise it would be the last time I would see him in this life. But the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection means

this is not the last of it. It is the end of a chapter but by no means the end of the story. We do grieve Vivaldo’s death but not as those without hope. We will meet again.

with them as their God. 4He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor

pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” 5 And He who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.”

Farewell for now my brother. Until the new creation where you will run and jump and talk and laugh again. Rev 21:1-5 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. ² And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. ³ And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be

Jason and Viv

SELHURST EVANGELICAL CHURCH

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Vivaldo and Pastor’s Birthday November 2011 Vivaldo Leaving Selhurst Church - May 2012. This is not the end of the story! I will see you again my bro!

We will miss you dear Vivaldo. Janice.

We will always remember Vivaldo’s smile. Love, Pam and Ken

Vivaldo was an inspiration. Always smiling. A lovely guy. He will be missed so much. Chris Woodhall

Miss your smile.  June & Nia

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Even on your sickbed, you cared and loved those around you despite your severe physical challenges. Some may have seen you as the sick guy they only visited once a year but to me, you were a good friend and a brother. You helped me become a better person. Caring for you was an honour. Your brother, Kirsten

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Vivaldo, We shared quite a number of things: November born; Supporters of Arsenal football club; Faith in our LORD Jesus Christ. But what I recall most is the Joy that lights up your face whenever our discussion focusses on our fellowship with our Father in heaven and the work He has given us to build His Church on earth. Now itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s happened that you have been recalled to join the great heavenly Church. We needed you here but the LORD has the prerogative on where and when He assigns us. Reconciliation Church, where you belonged, misses you but

we know that GOD loves you more. Continue to enjoy the sweet fellowship with the Father in Glory and let your face be forever lightened with joy. Rest in Peace. Pastor Mensa

RECONCILIATION CHURCH INTERNATIONAL

DR. KWAKYE, GHANA

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Vivaldo, You lived according to your name which means power; strength in combat and he who dominates the will. In your young life you fought in strength and honour through many unforeseen challenges.

Vivaldo! You have fought the good fight. You have won the race. Now you rest peacefully in Abba Father’s bosom.

Like your name you willfully dominated disappointments and heartbreaks with God’s love.

We love and miss you dearly!

Vivaldo wõ ojogbann. Ayekoo tsulor kpakpa.

Your dear Auntie Vickylextar You have touched many in more ways than you knew. Like your name you have exuded graceful power in many combats.

You lived against all odds and I hoped against hope for your healing. Viv, as I kept telling you, I was looking forward to the day I was going to join your family to thank God for healing mercies. But God had other plans for you… Who am I to question God? Rest peacefully in the Lord my dear.

Eva

Dear Chris, I am so sorry for your loss, you had a lovely son. I will always remember him as the lovely, sparkly handsome boy who I first met. Life can be so harsh. I will be thinking of you and shedding tears. Best wishes, Bridget

Dr. Bridget MacDonald Consultant Neurologist UK

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Vivaldo, Our dear Viv. Taken too soon but I will always have fond memories of our close relationship that no one ever knew how deep it was. A close connection that only we shared. I’ll miss our chats and laughs but most of all I’ll miss your smile. Rest well and rejoice with the angels.

Lots of love, your “Auntie” Lynette  Vivaldo, Viv, Watching the deep strong bond between you and Lynette was heartwarming, lasting right to the end. Farewell My Handsome Prince & Brave Soldier. You are home safely.

Auntie Christie Sis Ayerkai, UK

We walk this earth and see ourselves as whole and we call others “challenged” In reality what we see with our eyes is not what is essential To see what is essential we need to look with the heart Indeed, we are all “challenged” in one way or another Knowing Viv taught me that. It was a silent war that Viv fought Selected by The Almighty for a cause we can neither know nor understand Like a true soldier Viv took up the challenge Time after time we thought it was the end Each time he came back smiling, with a sparkle in his eye GOD’s true spiritual commando. And now the Ultimate Commander has called you back to barracks I guess GOD also missed you so much He called you back home In your silent courage you taught me To see and hear with my heart, not my senses Farewell brave soldier. Good night…till we meet again

Thiawa

Psalm116:15 Our family has known Viv since he was a little child not more than 4 years old. The Lord is the only one who understands all mysteries. Viv rest in perfect peace with the Lord. The Pimpong Family

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FOREVER IN OUR HEARTS Emily

Viv, a breath of life... the smiles, the joy and peaceful look even through tribulation.... gave us all hope!! You will be forever missed!

Sylvia

We are saddened by the passing of our dear friend and brother, Vivaldo. It has taken us a while to process this news, because the simple truth is this - Vivaldo made all of our lives immeasurably better by just being himself. That was his nature and one which attracted many people around him; drawn not to anything flash or wicked but to the undeniable Godly good contained within his being. His loss is both devastating and difficult, but we are comforted by Scripture, which advises us that our Great God has prepared a better land for all of His people.

Therefore, we are heartened that Vivaldo is with the Lord and look forward to meeting him again. Vivaldo - thank you for the smiles, fond memories and for always being you. Our family will always remember your infectious and cheeky smile. Your impact was immense and still remains at large. Rest well. Until we meet again on that day of Glory. Kingsley, Afua, Miranda and Vincent. The Nimoh Family (London, UK)

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I would like to start this tribute firstly by giving my deepest condolences to Vivaldo’s family. I pray to the God Almighty that he provides them with support and comfort during this difficult time where they have lost a beautiful soul. I also thank Aunty Christiana who passed on my good wishes over the years to Vivaldo and kept me up to date with his condition. Aunty, I will always be grateful for this. My friendship with Vivaldo began during our time at college where we spent two good years. Vivaldo was in simple words a true gem - he was one of the most genuine and kindest individuals I have ever come across. I am proud to say that I am honoured and fortunate to have known him. He was one of those people who you could talk to after months and pick up exactly where you left off. Vivaldo was different to most, his mannerisms, his calm collective nature and his general persona really made him stand out. He treated anyone he met with respect and he was also someone who you could share a joke with. But if I think hard of the one thing that really distinguished Vivaldo, for me

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that would have to be his smile. That’s because no matter when you saw him in whatever situation, he would always smile and seem at peace – even during those stressful times when his beloved Arsenal football team lost a game! During the two years I spent with Vivaldo never once did I see him complain of anything nor talk ill of anyone. I even remember the time he phoned me to tell me that he was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis; he didn’t complain on the phone or say “why me?” I never told him this, but my respect for him grew in regards to the maturity he showed whilst sharing such difficult news. It’s not often you find people like this and if we open our minds, we can certainly learn a lot when we do meet them. The world could really do with more people like Vivaldo – it saddens me that he has left this world so young but I am reassured that he is now in a better place. My friend Vivaldo had a good heart – he really did. Vivaldo very modestly told me a story once how our form tutor had the unfortunate event of ripping his trousers and not knowing about it. The class members who knew what had

happened decided not to say anything as it was funny for them – which I guess would be the case for most 17/18 year olds. However for Vivaldo, although he too found the situation very funny as you would (and so did I when he was telling me the story) – he was different to others because as soon as he realised what was going on, with the utmost respect he discreetly took the teacher to the side to tell him what happened to prevent any more embarrassment. Vivaldo, the gentleman he was. One final example of his fine nature can be found from the 2009 Langley Park Boys School leavers book. In the part where you answer where you see yourself in 10 years’ time, Vivaldo’s response was “sitting at a desk counselling those in need.” What more can I say? Vivaldo, from the bottom of my heart I thank you for the great moments we shared together. Thank you for being my friend. Heaven has truly gained an Angel. Goodbye my friend. Fawaz Qureshi

You were the sweetest, kindest and most amazing person who was like a living angel. So gentle with a very likable character. I will remember you as the calm young man who always hung around the right types of people that also had such a strong and positive spirit about you – a fervent Christian with a promising bright stance in life. Until we meet again soldier. Joce Lyn

Vivaldo and I became friends at St Mary’s high school. He was such a beautiful soul and such a gentleman, one of the smartest in our year group. He was so ambitious and so determined. I have so many memories of us going shopping together, video calling on msn and laughing till we cried. I am so grateful to call him my friend. I will continue to keep his family in my heart and prayers. We will see him again. With love, Nadège

Vivaldo, your demise has really left indelible marks in our hearts. You are no more seen but always felt in our hearts. Rest In Peace Viva, till we meet again. Emmanuel

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Tribute from Cousins Sarah, Bathoni & Michael By Michael Puplampu There are so many thoughts and feelings racing through my mind as I stare at a blank page wondering how to fill it. What do I say? Should I be the one writing this? How long should it be? Why does this have to be my first time? And most importantly, would he even like it? These questions I keep asking myself, and I am never satisfied with the answers and the reason is simple: I want this tribute to be special, extraordinary, full of love, compassionate, considerate and also joyful because these are the attributes that best describe my cousin. Vivaldo Buenartey Puplampu. We were so different as young boys. I was rough, he was gentle; I was hyperactive, he was calm; I was boisterous, he was peaceful; I did things my way, he did things the right way. I remember always getting so frustrated because we both had a passion for gaming and we were both good and evenly matched so every contest would bring us thrill and excitement. However, no matter where we were in a game or how close we were to beating a level, a young Viv would not allow the console to be on a minute longer than the instruction manual suggested was a safe operating time. I, on the other hand, would literally have had to see smoke coming from the console to even consider stopping. Growing up, he was the closest thing I had to a brother. I wish I knew it at the time but that’s the one thing I was so sure we had: time. My sisters, and I have often come together to recall our times with Viv. From our childhoods to now, we all have different fragments that have pieced themselves together and formed something of a collective memory. And no matter

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which details or order of events we couldn’t agree on, one thing that was never in dispute was his character. If I could summarise the way we will remember his character, we saw Viv around Christmas of 2013 - a number of years since we were last together. We were excited to see all our cousins after so long and we came to celebrate. By then, he had already been through so much. We hadn’t seen him since his unimaginable challenge began and I’m sure before we saw him, we were all wondering how he would be, whether he would be the same person we remembered, what we should and shouldn’t say, do or ask. I even wondered if he would remember us. Despite all he was going through, he came ready to celebrate as hard as the rest of us and made us all feel better he made us laugh. His humour was ever present and never at the true expense of anyone else. He even still recalled how, over 10 years ago, we all used to tease him about a pop star named Lolly, his first celebrity crush. It was such a gem of a memory. He immediately had us all laughing. He brought us together in that moment, so selflessly, and it gave us so much comfort. I almost feel like, in a way only he could, he was saying to us “Don’t worry guys, I’m ok”. The sheer magnitude of love we, his entire family, have for him is simply a reflection of the love he showed us all every day of his life. He taught us to be gentle, to be calm, to bring peace and how to bring joy to those we love even in the toughest times. As I said, he was the closest thing I had to a brother and this tribute is a promise that in every way I can, I will strive to make my brother proud.

Tribute from The Puplampu Cousins By Yesha Puplampu I woke up to the message, “Viv is gone”. Shocked and confused I tried to call the sender of the massage. There was no response. I then called mum and asked a simple question: “Is it true?”, to which she said, “Yes”. There was a moment of calm and clarity followed by an overwhelming wave of sorrow and guilt for not going to see him when I felt led to. In the days that followed I found myself very consciously trying to remember Viv from a time before his extended illness. At first it felt like a futile exercise because it brought to bear the realization of how long he had been unwell for. I continued to push through and found that sharing with others experiencing this loss was the key to unlocking the wealth of cherished memories. Judy brought to mind our different summers in Redco, Labone, Ashaley Botwe and Ada. Stephen remembered their love for football

and Dragon Ball Z. Hayil, as young as she was, remembered feeling excluded most times because of her age but Viv giving her the time of day from time-totime. While I remembered Viv as the shady prankster who made us laugh. I am reminded of a particular prank he played on Xav and I at Ashaley Botwe. We had just finished watching a movie (I was not supposed to watch). In this movie, a gory girl comes out of a TV to haunt and kill people. Xav and I are talking about how scary it is and what we would do if we were in a similar situation. In the heat of outlining our Matrix inspired escape plans, the television goes off by itself. Xav and I freeze for a split second, trying to figure out if we would have to act out the unrealistic plans we were just discussing. Out comes Viv with bursts of laughter unable to contain himself. He had very covertly turned off the TV with the remote, out of view. “You

should have seen your faces”, he said as he continued to laugh. We joined in the laughter after quickly overcoming our irritation. He was a handsome, intelligent, funloving, cheeky bugger. As his illness started to progress we saw another side to him quite different from the carefree tween we had known. He was measured, grateful and hopeful. He did not seem to let the situation get him down. One of our more difficult memories was of when he had just started to lose his sight. I was heart broken but encouraged by the fact that he recognized Hayil’s and my voice. He encouraged us and smiled and remained positive throughout the visit. He was strong and fought till the very end. He will be missed but we are comforted to know he is at peace and at home with The Father.

REMEMBERING VIVALDO

Tribute from The Okang Cousins

It is indeed a great privilege for us to have been a part of your life. You were calm and you were fun. You were no pushover, but you were also a team player. We remember with fondness, your handsome smile as we goofed around and teased each other, and we also recall your stern look and amusingly serious face whenever someone said something negative about your beloved football club, Arsenal. At least, you are now free from the habitual heartache they cause you by refusing to win trophies. You were truly a gentle soul, but you were also very strong. And we all witnessed your incredible strength in your latter days, as you battled for your life; we would see you in pain and yet also see you flash a smile to make us feel comfortable around you. In your distress, you would still be concerned about those around you and ask, â&#x20AC;&#x153;are you OK?â&#x20AC;? That was truly a display of great strength and character. It is sad to know that you are no longer with us; but we are comforted knowing that you are free from the pains and troubles of this world. We will cherish the memories we have of you, till we meet again. Rest well dear cousin.

REMEMBERING VIVALDO

Isaiah 57:1&2 Viv, the very first day I met you in 2014, I knew straight away that you were a fun-loving person. One phrase stood out each time you talked and that was “COOL”. Thank God you are cool in the bosom of Abraham and we shall surely meet again one day. Rest In Peace Viv. Patience Darkey-Okine

Rest in peace My Bewhiskered One. Theresa

God saw you getting tired; He \ wrapped His arms around you and whispered, “Come to me.” He only takes the best. R.I.P.P Viv. Mildred

I wish you farewell in your journey to eternity, Viv. You’d never be forgotten, rest in perfect peace. Auntie Becky

Viv, a cherished son who never complained. Rest in the arms of our Lord till the big reunion. Theodora

So vibrant and always smiling. Viv gone too soon. RIP

Vida

“In Christ alone our hope is found” Rest in Perfect Peace Dear Viv. Dedo & Family

REMEMBERING VIVALDO

In Christ alone my hope is found, He is my light, my strength, my song; This Cornerstone, this solid Ground, Firm through the fiercest drought and storm. What heights of love, what depths of peace, When fears are stilled, when strivings cease! My Comforter, my All in All, Here in the love of Christ I stand. No guilt in life, no fear in death, This is the power of Christ in me; From lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first cry to final breath, Jesus commands my destiny. No power of hell, no scheme of man, Can ever pluck me from His hand: Till He returns or calls me home, Here in the power of Christ Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll stand. Stuart Townsend