A much-loved 16-year-old Army cadet sergeant has been remembered as a ‘beautiful, kind soul’ after he died suddenly.
Perth schoolboy Liam Grant, who celebrated his 16th birthday on December 26, ‘died unexpectedly’ on Friday.
His mother, Kelly Ann, described her son as the ‘brightest star in the sky’ and said his death had left their family completely ‘grief-stricken’.
‘Time stood still forever on January 19, 2024 and will never move forward. Ever!,” Ms. Grant wrote on social media.
Perth schoolboy Liam Grant (pictured), who celebrated his 16th birthday on December 26, ‘died unexpectedly’ on Friday
Liam (pictured) was promoted to the rank of cadet sergeant last July after nine days of intensive training
‘It would have only been 24 days since we celebrated your 16th birthday, a few days ago we picked up your car… we have plans, so many fun things ahead and in the blink of an eye it all changed our wonderful boy Liam Grant passed away.”
She added: “Tell us it’s not true. Wake us up from this torturous hell. I’m at a loss for words.’
Liam was promoted to the rank of cadet sergeant after nine days of intensive training last July.
On December 30, his parents surprised him with his first car.
His final Instagram post came two days later, when he shared photos with his classmates and expressed gratitude for “all the friends I’ve made along the way.”
Tributes poured in on social media, with one describing him as a ‘beautiful, kind soul’ and an ‘absolute diamond’.
‘Liam was the most amazing caring, generous, sensitive, smart, sensible gentleman. It’s just crushing,” wrote another.
a GoFundMe pagefounded by a family friend to raise money to cover his funeral, memorial services and other expenses, has raised more than $19,000 to date.