Twelve-year-old Tomas Remeikis was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension after doctors found a hole in his heart as a toddler.

The National Health Service (NHS) considers pulmonary hypertension a serious condition that can damage the right side of the heart. It causes high blood pressure in the blood vessels that supply the lungs.

Despite his diagnosis, the 12-year-old had been leading a healthy lifestyle for many years, including biking to school every day and participating in taekwondo classes twice a week. However, on May 26, Tomas, a resident of Southport, North Carolina, USA, fell ill at home.

He was rushed to hospital but tragically died.

Andrius Remeikis, Tomas’s father, told the Liverpool Echo: ” He was great. He was very kind and friendly. I always had friends. Tomas was born in Manchester. Two years ago we moved to Southport, a little dream of ours. We used to come here often, and when we finally moved, we were very happy.”