Married father-of-two, Matthew McSevney was just 43 years old when he was tragically killed on 5th October 2017. He was cycling to work, when he was struck from the rear by a car.
LOROS Hospice CEO, John Knight said: “I had known him for about 12 years. We sailed, ran, cycled, swam and even did triathlons together. The two of us enjoyed the outdoors and sports.
“Shortly before his death, Matthew had just taken up off-road long-distance running and I spent a lot of time supporting him, driving the route to meet him at various points so he could refuel.
John, who is Godfather to Matthew’s eldest son, Finbar, recalls the tragic day his good friend Matthew died.
“When I heard that Matthew had died, it was shocking to hear. As Godfather to Matthew’s eldest son, and having previously worked with his wife Rebecca for a few years, I know the family well.
“Matthew was in the wrong place at the wrong time, riding towards the sun, and a driver hit him from behind.
“I remember calling one of our mutual friends, Chris Kirk, who lived close to Matthew to give him the bad news. He was devastated, and so was I. The three of us were good friends with a shared love of the outdoors.
LOROS Hospice have launched their ‘Forget Me Not Flower Appeal’ with each flower symbolising the life of a loved one who is no longer with us.
John and Chris thought it would be an ideal time to plant two Forget Me Not flowers at the summit of North Barrule in memory of Matthew.
“Chris and I decided to climb to the top of one of Matthew’s favourite mountains in the Isle of Man to plant two flowers in his memory.
“Standing at the summit of North Barrule with our Forget Me Not flowers was very emotional and really poignant. As we planted them in the ground in Matthew’s memory, it felt as though he was there with us. We smiled, and thought about him for a while.
“My memories of Matthew will always be positive. We often stood on a hill-top, went sailing or were out on our bikes and of course it almost always ended with a beer, as mates do.
“I will be planting a Forget Me Not in my garden to remember Matthew and the good times we shared.”
Each unique Forget Me Not costs £25 each and can be purchased here.
Or they can be ordered from one of our 32 shops across the city and county. LOROS will have a display of Forget Me Not’s from Monday 2nd until Sunday 8th July in Leicester’s Jubilee Square.
Following the display, the flowers will be available to collect from the Hospice or delivered to your home address to create a lasting tribute to your loved one.
