“Wake up Jeremy, wake up. Wake up Jerry and take your breast milk. Wake up Jeremy, wake up”, called out his mother, Rita, on Tuesday, 20^th November 2018, Universal Children’s Day 2018, as Jeremy lay peaceful, quiet and unresponsive in his tinny little coffin, hours before his remains were lowered down his final resting place on this our earth.

Rita Acheng is the first grandchild of my father, Ejakait Engineer George William Obityo Owaraga, borne of Betty Asekenye Apio, my father’s first daughter, my sister and this is how I am Jeremy’s grandma. My grandson, my father’s great grandson, Jeremy, our gift from God, for nearly six months of his life on earth brought joy to his parents – Rita and Emmanuel Kagazi, to his first grandma – my sister Betty and to his extended families of the Owaragas of Pallisa and the Kagazis of Kisoro.

I choose to believe that Jeremy died painlessly and peacefully in his sleep and I rationalise that his death was a case of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) – “the sudden unexplained death of a child less than one year of age.” On the morning of 19^th November 2018, Rita breastfed Jeremy and left him well at home as she went to work. Late morning, while at work, she received a phone call informing her that her baby boy, Jeremy, was no more.

As Jeremy’s soul has ascended to heaven above, no doubt, we, the family and friends of Rita and Emmanuel, are called to duty to support them so that they may graciously accept that he who gave them the gift of Jeremy has taken him back under confusing and unexplained circumstances. Pray for them and support them in any way that we can, for there is a long and tough road ahead for them.

We, family and friends, are comforted that the love of Rita and Emmanuel is strong and will pull them through. We are comforted that the love of the Kagazi family is strong and will help pull them through. We are comforted that the love of the Owaraga family is strong and will help pull them through.

We, Rita’s clan, the Owaragas, are thankful and grateful to you, our friends and extended families, for joining with us and sharing your love and support as we bid farewell to our son, grandson, great grandson, Kagazi Jeremy Edward. May his young soul rest in eternal peace, we pray.