Family's moving tributes for "brave and kind" Ethan

The devastated parents of a Burnley teenager, who died last week at the age of 16, have paid tribute to their "brave and kind" son.
Brave Ethan with his mum and dad , Melanie and Andrew and sister Jodie.Brave Ethan with his mum and dad , Melanie and Andrew and sister Jodie.
Brave Ethan with his mum and dad , Melanie and Andrew and sister Jodie.

Ethan Hunt died in Manchester's Wythenshawe Hospital last week, a month after falling seriously ill.

His parents, Melanie and Andrew and his older sister Jodie, kept a constant vigil at Ethan's beside where doctors had placed him in an induced coma after he contracted the deadly sepsis bug, a life threatening condition that flares up when the body’s response to infection causes injury to its own tissues and organs.

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Speaking about Ethan today at the family home in Brunshaw, Melanie described her son as a kind and mature young man who was on the brink of adulthood.

The family of teenager Ethan Hunt have paid tribute to him as a wonderful son, brother and boyfriend.The family of teenager Ethan Hunt have paid tribute to him as a wonderful son, brother and boyfriend.
The family of teenager Ethan Hunt have paid tribute to him as a wonderful son, brother and boyfriend.

She said: "It sounds like a cliche but Ethan really did put others first all the time in many ways and he was a wonderful son, brother and boyfriend.

"He rang me everyday to let me know he had left school, even though it was only up the road.

"And he was always treating us with small treats when he went to the local shop."

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A student at Blessed Trinity RC College where he was studying for his GCSEs, Ethan had recently won a special award for completing the most revision in his year.

The family of teenager Ethan Hunt have paid tribute to him as a wonderful son, brother and boyfriend.The family of teenager Ethan Hunt have paid tribute to him as a wonderful son, brother and boyfriend.
The family of teenager Ethan Hunt have paid tribute to him as a wonderful son, brother and boyfriend.

This was a great achievement as studying did not come naturally to the teenager who preferred to be out and about on his bike or spending time with his friends.

Andrew said: "Ethan was bright and intelligent but he just didn't enjoy the studying aspect of school.

"But he had really knuckled down to it after not doing that well in his mock exams and he earned that revision award."

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The whole town was moved by the death of Ethan who doctors had placed in an induced coma. The teenager was unaware that surgeons had amputated both his legs as all the tissue had died.

Jodie (24) who is studying forensics at the University of Lincoln said her brother had not stopped battling since he was taken ill.

She said: "He was so brave and strong, he never gave up.

"We were very close and he always took care of me and text me all the time when I went away to university to make sure I was ok."

A keen cyclist, Ethan would spend hours riding all over Lancashire and he loved taking photographs. He had even set up his own photography website.

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Ethan also had two jobs, working a paper round and also in the executive lounge at Turf Moor, to save up for a new bike.

A Clarets fan, Ethan was also a big supporter of Manchester United and he had a passion for cars, especially sports cars.

He was looking to pursue his dream to become a mechanical engineer working with Formula One cars.

Melanie said: "Ethan wanted an apprenticeship and he was determined to follow his Formula One dream.

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"He didn't see why it couldn't happen for him as much as anyone else.

"He packed so much into his young life, it was like he almost knew that he would die young."

Ethan's family have paid tribute to staff at the Royal Blackburn Hospital and Wythenshawe Hospital in Manchester where he was treated in the cardiothoracic critical care unit where he was in severe respiratory failure and developed pneumonia and MRSA.

Melanie said: "The staff at both hospitals were absolutely fantastic, they did everything they could to save Ethan, we cannot thank them enough.

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"One of the doctors who treated him cried when he died and another member of staff said she had worked with him for 30 years and that was the first time she had seen that happen."

Hundreds of people are expected to attend Ethan's funeral tomorrow at St Mary's RC Church in Yorkshire Street .

And mourners will walk into church to Ethan's favourite song, Live Forever by Oasis.

The Hunts have requested that if people wish to make donations these go to the ECMO charity fund

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ECMO stands for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, a bypass for heart and lungs to oxygenate the blood allowing these organs to rest

Ethan was given ECMO treatment while in intensive care.

Andrew said: "The fund goes towards the treatment and also care and help for families.

"It paid for us to have a room at the hospital so we could stay with Ethan constantly."