Many fell in love with Freddie’s (Image: Family of Freddie Pritchard)
A nine-year-old boy has tragically died while on the way back from a holiday with his family.
Freddie Pritchard, described as “happy, polite, and courteous”, passed away on September 14, after a family trip to Tenerife.
The young boy was an avid football fan and attended All Saints School in Wrexham. Freddie supported his hometown Wrexham AFC and Liverpool, along with other international and European teams. He had also played for Gresford Athletic since the age of six-years-old.
A fundraiser has been set up to put money towards the cost of Freddie’s funeral, with donations also being given to the Cheshire Ambulance Service, the Countess of Chester Hospital and the Alder Hey Snowdrop suite. Even though it’s been up for less than two weeks, supporters have already raised more than £5,000.
Jessica Tomlinson, Freddies Aunt, gave a statement on behalf of the family and said: “He was the biggest character, and was so funny – he was always having a laugh. Everybody who met Freddie instantly fell in love with his cheeky smile and mischievous ways. He was the biggest character I’ll ever meet and nothing will be the same without him. Freddie was the kindest little boy and had so many friends.”
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Freddie’s death is described as completely unexpected and a cause is yet to be determined. The family have organised a Freddie’s buddy bench to be built and a tree to be planted in memory of him at his school.
Jessica went on to say: “What happened was very, very unexpected. He did not fall ill or anything like that. We have no answers and as of yet we don’t have a clue as to what happened. Fred was the best uncle, his brother had a baby, and he idolised Arabella who was his little niece. He learnt how to swim on his holiday, and was so proud of himself, and taught his mum how to swim too.
“As a tribute to Fred, we have planned with All Saints School for a Freddie’s buddy bench in school because he wanted everyone to be kind to each other and for nobody to be alone. The school has also planned for there to be a tree to be planted in Forest School because Freddie was so adventurous and loved the outdoors.
“We are very thankful for everybody who has donated to Freddie’s GoFundMe and helped raise his target in just over 24 hours.
“People will always remember him for being very cheeky and funny. He’s such a gorgeous boy. Everyone will remember him for how kind he was – he wanted everybody to be friends, and he had so many friends. Nothing will ever be the same without him. He will always be in our hearts and we will cherish our memories with him forever.”
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The headteacher of Freddie’s School Richard Hatwood said: “Never without a smile, Freddie was everything and more we could wish for in a pupil of our school. A happy, polite and courteous boy who was friends with pupils across the school, both young and old.
“We shared a special service at All Saints’ Church with Reverend Emma and Father Huw and continue to extend our deepest sympathies and wishes to Freddie’s family and friends during this tragic time. I could not be prouder of each and every member of our school community. The love, care and support shown this week has supported us all in navigating this very, very difficult period.”
Elsewhere, further tributes were paid to the little boy, who was clearly a much-cherished member of his community and will be dearly missed by so many.
A statement from Gresford Athletic Football Club read: “Sadly, Freddie Pritchard from our Gresford Athletic Junior Under 10s team has gained his angel wings. Freddie passed away unexpectedly on Saturday morning whilst travelling home with his family after enjoying an amazing holiday together.
Freddie’s football coach said: “As a coaching team, we have worked with Freddie since the age of six when he began his footballing journey with GAJFC. We have seen Freddie blossom as a player, teammate and a lovely person. Freddie was a well-loved member of the team and was developing into a good footballer with a fierce left foot, who scored lots of goals for us. The coaches, players and parents will all miss Freddie dearly, but he will always be with us in our hearts and he won’t be forgotten.”
Grassroots Football Wales has asked the football fraternity of the region to hold a minute’s silence in the young boy’s honour.
Their statement said: “We are sure you will agree we felt pain in our hearts even to those of us who never knew Freddie. Team Grassroots Wales asked for your support and to stand together for Freddie Pritchard’s family by showing respect with a minute’s silence during the weekend.”