An Angus family have spoken of their heartbreak after their disabled son died almost two years to the day since his brother succumbed to the same disease.
John Mathieson, from Arbroath, suffered from a rare strain of muscular dystrophy and died in an ambulance outside his home after suddenly taking ill.
The 21-year-old’s death came as parents Norman (51) and Yvonne (43) were preparing to visit the grave of their son James, who died from the same debilitating condition aged just 17.
Daniel Mathieson (22) was also born with the disease and now is the last surviving brother.
Norman, who is a full-time carer, said losing John will take a ”big chunk” away from the lives of all the family.
”John was the strong one,” he said. ”Nobody expected this to happen. It is totally shocking and I am still a bit numb. I just can’t believe this has happened.
”He was the healthiest out of the three of them. Daniel has been the one who has had the most problems to deal with but he has been battling through it.
”John has not really had any problems whatsoever. He was determined to beat the disease and wouldn’t let it get to him. He was always so stubborn and independent.”
Norman had been travelling to Dundee for a shopping trip on Tuesday when he received a call from his daughter Claire to say John had taken a turn for the worse after breakfast.
When he got back to his house on McGregors Walk paramedics had already arrived and were attempting to revive his son.
”It all happened so quickly,” Norman said. “He was normal during the day and then he started feeling unwell and went to bed. Yvonne is managing to cope but she has been up all night.”
John had just gained an HNC in interactive media and web development at Angus College and saw himself as a helper to his brother Daniel, who is now struggling to come to terms with the loss.
Norman said the family were coping with the tragedy and vowed to fight for better treatment for people living with muscular dystrophy.
Both Norman and Yvonne have campaigned to raise awareness of the disease. They have previously travelled to Holyrood to lobby for more funding for research and a Scottish testing centre.
James’s death in 2010 came just after he returned home from sister Claire’s 18th birthday party. He tragically died despite her attempts to resuscitate him.
All three of the boys were born with duchenne muscular dystrophy, leaving them wheelchair-bound and requiring constant care.
The condition affects only boys and is passed on through a faulty gene, with just 250 people in Scotland known to be sufferers.
John’s funeral service will be held at George Stewart undertakers in Arbroath at 10.30am on Tuesday.