Nothing in life is ever guaranteed to us. You can be having a wonderful day with your loved ones and have the day flipped upside down in the very next second.
This family had their world turned upside down when they received devastating news about their teenage son…
Jack Woodley grew up in a happy home in Durham, England. Once he grew up and ventured out of the home, he settled down in Gateshead’s Felling district.
He had gotten a job at Amazon in Gateshead and wanted to live nearer to his workplace. His current residence had gone through a robbery and an assault which led him to decide to move. His mother, Zoey McGill says that her little boy was waiting on social services to alert him about any other apartment openings he could consider as his next home.
He was recommended to move into a YMCA hostel till a new place became available. He had however been staying with his family in their Whitley Bay vacation house.
On his last night before he moved into the hostel, he was spending some time with his girlfriend at the Houghton Feast Fair. His mother recalled her teenage son sending videos of him enjoying the fair on October 16, 2021.
Later that night, McGill got a call that changed her entire life. Her son’s girlfriend contacted her and gave her some earth-shattering news; her son had been stabbed.
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She and her husband rushed to the hospital to be by Woodley’s side as he battled for his life.
She was shaken to her core about what had happened, unable to understand why it had happened. Her son had been dropping his girlfriend off at the bus stop when he had fallen victim to the vicious attack. He was stabbed by a group of young boys.
He passed away on October 17 because of his injuries. His family was left devastated by his passing. His mother posted a heartbreaking tribute to her late son on Facebook. “How am I to get through this hell hole. My strength is slipping away slowly without my kids I am nothing. You were the reason I chose to live life to the full,” she wrote.
Upon investigation, officials found out that he had been attacked by a gang of youngsters. A trial was held by the Newcastle Crown Court in 2022. The attackers were all aged 14-17 years old and had no particular motive to attack Woodley.
A year after her son’s passing McGill posted an emotional video of some of her final moments with her son. In the video, she is singing the lyrics of Dani and Lizzy’s “Dancing in the Sky” to her beloved boy.
She wanted to raise awareness about the damage knife-related crimes can cause! The family is still bitterly mourning their loss. In February 2022, Woodley’s younger brother, Jayden, set up a fundraiser to raise money for a personalized memorial stone for his late brother.
What a terrible tragedy to befall this family. Our thoughts and prayers are with them in their difficult time.
Share this piece to raise more awareness about the cause the family is championing after losing their beloved Jack Woodley.
