When we lose someone dear to us, grief is the natural response. It’s an overwhelming feeling that can be expressed through shock, anger, disbelief and a sadness that cannot be expressed into words. This pain makes it difficult for us to think, eat, or sleep, and coping with the loss of someone we love can be a great challenge.
This is what a family went through when they hear their beloved 29-year-old son and father had died. It was unexpected, and years later, the family learns something that has shocked a whole country! It was all caught on camera.
An Incredible Loss
Losing someone we love can be devastating. Nothing hits you harder than this news, and no matter how prepared you are for that moment, it’s still unbearable.
The same thing felt a family and the friends of a young man from the UK.
He Was Young
The man was only 29 years old when he died, and it’s obvious nobody saw it coming.
Healthy and active, with no risk of developing any life-threatening illnesses, Wayne Edwards’ departure was a shock for the whole community.
A Mystery
The mystery surrounding his death was still lingering, even after nearly four years.
His family was still coping with the fact that he was no longer among them and when that man came knocking on their door, the pain resurfaced.
It Was Too Soon
Originally from Markham, Wayne Edwards had been a foorballer for nearly a decade.
He was midfielder at the local club Aberbargoed Buds. On July 13, 2016, he died, and everyone agreed that he died too soon. What happened?
An Emotional Rollercoaster
Nobody knew it, and probably neither Wayne. It may have started with feelings of loneliness, or with denial in the face of anxiousness or depression.
But on July 13, the young man decided to let go of these thoughts.
The Feelings Inside
You can never know what people feel on the inside. Some are not comfortable sharing what’s on their mind.
Unfortunately for Wayne’s loved ones, finding out what was happening to him was too late.
The Signs
His family didn’t see the warning signs and on July 13, 2016, Wayne was found dead. The official statement was that suicide was the cause of death.
It was a hit that lasted with his family for the past four years and was reignited this summer with that knock on the door.
The Cemetery
Wayne’s uncle Chris Postians later told reporters that it was June 29 when someone came to their door.
“Someone from the council came around and told us the news on Monday morning.” Here’s what they learned about Wayne…
The Pain Reignited
It was nearly four years since Wayne was no longer with them, and as July 13 was approaching, Wayne’s mother was having a very difficult time.
When she heard what the man had to say about her son, she nearly collapsed!
Who Would Do That?
According to the council representative, the family learned that Wayne’s headstone was smashed over the weekend.
But as they hurried to the cemetery, the family talked to a lady, who had been there the past Sunday…
A Devastated Family
“We went up there and a lady who had been there on Sunday afternoon told us it hadn’t been like that then,” said Chris, who added that they were all devastated when they heard what happened.
They didn’t expect to see just how bad things were!
A Rare and Unfortunate Event
“The graveyard attendant there said he’d never seen a headstone smashed like that in 40 years,” explained Chris to the reporters.
Stunned to see the sight of the headstone, Wayne’s mother took out her phone and started filming the trashed cemetery. You won’t believe what she saw.
Braced For the Worse
Chris said that he couldn’t understand who would do something like this. “My sister is reliving his death now.”
Grief overcame her and as she filmed the trashed tombstone, the mother couldn’t stop crying. Her video ends up on YouTube and then, the family gets a call…
A Difficult Time
“It’s getting near the anniversary which is always hard enough as it is, and this just makes it harder. His three brothers are devastated too,” added Chris.
Wayne was a loved person in the community, but could this be a hate crime?
Everyone Has Secrets
We can all agree that you cannot possibly know everything about a person. But everyone knew that Wayne was a great son, brother, friend and footballer.
Nobody knew exactly who vandalized the tomb, said Chris, adding one tear-jerking message.
The Lowest of the Low
“I’ve no idea who did it, but to desecrate someone’s grave like that is the lowest of the low,” said Chris. Gwent Police stated that the damage may have been caused “sometime between 11pm on June 26 and 7am on June 29,” but they didn’t know who the vandal was.
Then, as the Aberbargoed Buds Football Club posted this news about their former player, the family received overwhelming support from the community.
A Tough Player
Chris recalled how great of an athlete Wayne was. “I coached him for a few years, and he was a tough-tackling midfielder.”
He was impressed when the local football club decided to help the family of their former player.
Help The Family
“Can you please help the family find the culprit/culprit's who as done this. Wayne was one of our ex players. […] Someone has taken a sledgehammer to Wayne's headstone.
This has devastated the whole family. I can not get my head around this,” wrote the Aberbargoed Buds Football Club in a post that was shared nearly 1000 times! Then, this happens…
A Hurtful Thing To Do
That's awful what a hurtful thing to do,” answered someone to the Facebook post, while another one was appalled by this act.
“The world makes me so angry!! Why on earth would anyone want to do this!!”
Donating for the Family
“I would be happy to donate to help,” wrote someone on the football club’s post, and many expressed their disgust when they heard that someone vandalized a grave.
“I’ll happily donate for a replacement! Don’t know the family but this is truly heartbreaking,” said someone else.
A Nice Guy
Chris and the family was so overwhelmed with the responses they saw in the football club’s post. “The response in the last few days shows how much he was liked.
He was a caring individual and an all-around nice guy. It shows there are still wonderful people in the world.” Someone even started a GoFundMe campaign!
He’s Dearly Missed
Craig Morgan-Hill, a friend and colleague of Wayne, set up a GoFundMe campaign to raise £1,500.
“As a community many people loved Wayne and from my perspective as a friend and footballing friend for many years he’s dearly missed and I hope people get behind it,” he wrote.
They Raised The Money In No Time
In less than a week, members of Wayne’s former club have raised over £1,100!
The family hopes this wasn’t a hate crime, but they’re still suspicious since the graveyard was out of the way, explains Chris…
A Random Act
“Hopefully, it wasn’t malicious and was a random act of vandalism.
The graveyard is out of the way, it’s not somewhere you’d pass by,” stated Chris in the interview.
A Shocked Community
"We are obviously shocked and very concerned about this act of mindless vandalism.
Our thoughts are with the family at this time," stated a spokesman for Caerphilly council.
Chippy
Wayne, nicknamed Chippy by his loved ones and friends, now has a new headstone and everyone is now at peace.
The pain still lingers, but everyone’s thankful that Wayne is still remembered by the community.
Disgusting
There have been other similar incidents discovered, including the grave of a newborn.
Her mother had placed toys and small decorations, and they had been smashed and littered with beer bottles.
Unseen Vandals
“It's immoral and shows a complete lack of respect for other people,” said the mother who had buried her 13-month-old baby girl.
Unfortunately, in most cases, vandals are not caught and these incidents only add to the pain families are feeling after their loss.