My brother Simon was born on November 12th 1986 to my Mother, Anne, and my late Father Gareth.  He was my older brother and we grew up happy together in our parents; house in the suburbs of Cardiff, South Wales.

Simon was a big fan of football, and Cardiff City was his team - he had no time for the popular teams supported by his peers in school such as Manchester United and Liverpool.  Aged six, he started watching the Bluebirds in the season they won promotion and the 'Bob Bank' at Ninian Park was like a second home to him.

Up until the age of 10, Simon was a happy and bubbly boy but in 1996 our Father died after being hit by a drunken driver.  Simon was really close to Dad, and took this loss especially badly.  After Mum re-married, he seemed to change - more sullen, more angry and less sociable with friends.  His teenage years, imparticular, brought him nothing but angst as he hated going to school and he left school aged 15 with no qualifications.

Simon drifted in and out of jobs, but was determined to make his mark on the world despite people mocking him and ridiculing him - simply for being him.  He planned to invest a sum of money, on the promise of a 'so called' friend in a non-league football club, but was badly let down when this friend backed down from his promise leaving Simon open to ridicule.  This hurt Simon deeply, as he felt that he could be somebody with this club, and along with the death of his then girlfriend and unborn son led him to almost take his life at Dunraven Bay.

Simon was plauged with poor health, towards the end of his life.  He had uncontrolable skin and blood problems, was lethargic and had to have a liver transplant in 2010 due to alcohol abuse.  In 2011, Simon was diagnosed with blood cancer and given a year to live.  

However, Simon faced death with great dignity and even when seriously ill would work hard for charities dear to his heart.  In his last year of life, he raised £150 for Macmillan Cancer Research, £200 for Ty Hafan, £130 for George Thomas Hospice and £500 for the NSPCC.

Though a troubled, and sometimes difficult and distant person, Simon tried hard and would go out of his way to help those less fortunate.  He thought more of others than he ever thought of himself, and even on his deathbed was more concerned about his family and friends than the thought of going to sleep and not waking up again.

The world is a sadder place without you, Simon, and you will be missed by those who you loved and will always love you.