- A local family mourns the loss of their son after he passed away the day after his 18th birthday.
- Yusuf Qawee death was caused by a condition he's been battling since he was 5.
- Watch the full story down below.
A local family in my neighborhood is mourning the loss of their son after he passed away the day after his 18th birthday. I'm your Eaton County neighborhood reporter Travis Hicks. I caught up with the family to see how the community is rallying around them as they grieve.
"He's my world," Yusuf's mother Marie Qawee said.
A parent's worst nightmare, losing a child.
"We found him, that morning, I was devastated," Yusuf's mother Marie Qawee said.
Eaton County native Yusuf Qawee passed away on June 17th. His family told me his death was caused by a condition he's been battling since he was 5. It's called ROHHAD syndrome.
The condition results in rapid weight gain and breathing issues.
Yusufu's mom, Marie, tells me doctors told them they didn't think he would make it to his teen years. But he did, and made it to 18. Yusuf had recently graduated from Lansing Everett this past spring and was planning to go to Lansing Community College in the Fall with a dream to be a Mechanic. But with her son now gone, Yusuf's mom says the kind heart he had will be one of the many things she will miss the most.
"He was the sweetest kid you could have asked for, he would have given you the shirt off his back if you asked for it. Yusuf's mother Marie Qawee said.
In hard times like this, the Qawee family tells me they've been overwhelmed by the love they have received from the Eaton County Community. And they feel grateful.
"It means the world, it lets me know he touched more people's hearts, in a way we weren't aware, honestly," Yusuf Qawee Senior said
"Gotten a lot of support from the community, it's well appreciated," Yusuf's mother, Marie Qawee said.
Yusuf's funeral will be on Wednesday. If you would like to help the family pay for funeral expenses, there is a GoFundMe page. The link is down below
