On 29th December 2018 a bright light went out in our lives.  My brother Jonathan Sandys, who had been diagnosed with interstitial lung disease in February last year, and was told by doctors that he would need a double lung transplant in 2-3 years, lost his fight with the disease which spread far faster than anyone had predicted.  He lived life to the full in that time, in true Jonathan style, despite the many challenges he faced.  He built wonderful relationships with both Iona and Clemmie, who absolutely adored their “Uncle Joshen”, as Iona started calling him when she was too young to say “Jonathan”, and he loved the name so it stuck.  Every night they would pray for new lungs for him. 

He drew up his bucket list after he was diagnosed, and during the past six months we knocked quite a few things off it!  Despite everything, he remained fiercely positive. 

He was admitted to hospital just before Christmas, where they did all they could in order to stabilise and prepare him for a lung transplant. 

We spent most of the Christmas holidays at the Royal Brompton, where he received the most wonderful care, and made the doctors and nurses laugh as only Jonathan could. 

He was so proud of his nieces, who entertained the other patients on Christmas Day, coming in on stilts (Iona) and dressed as an angel (Clemmie) and taking chocolates round the other wards. 

Shortly after Christmas, things went fast downhill.  Nevertheless, he still kept trying to use less oxygen and make more progress as he knew that was what he needed to do to be fit for a lung transplant, and he was so proud that he managed to walk six steps on Christmas Day. 

During the last couple of days he had two beautiful Facetime conversations with his young children, Jesse and Arizona Jane, who he absolutely adored and who were his pride and joy, and he was so encouraged by all the lovely messages he was receiving from all over the world, urging him not to give up.  Not that he was planning to – but I am sure they gave him extra strength!

Mummy (Elisabeth Sandys) and I spent the last night at his bedside, reassuring him to the end how well he was doing.  We are thankful that he died peacefully and still firmly believing he would get his new lungs, telling several doctors on what turned out to be his last day that they would be writing papers about him and how he had beaten the disease.

It seems unreal that he is no longer here, and I miss him desperately as a brother who has been such an amazing support to me as a sister in my life and in my business (I think he had bigger visions of it than me), and I’m just so desperately sad that he won’t be there to help me take it to the next stage and to do life with as brothers and sisters should. 

He is buried with his brother Bod and father Julian in the churchyard in Shackleford, where we grew up.  At least that brings some comfort to us, as I know it did to him when he told us his wishes should he not make it as he hoped.

As Jonathan had so many friends from across the globe, Celebrations of his life are being planned in both Houston, where his wife and children live, and in London, where he was born and where he spent his last six months receiving medical treatment.  All are welcome at both of these Celebrations.

On Friday, February 22nd, 2019 his life was celebrated at Second Baptist Church in Houston.

On Saturday, April 6th, 2019 at 2pm we will be celebrating his life at St. James The Less Church, Vauxhall Bridge Road, Pimlico, London, SW1V 2PS. It would be great if you could let us know if you are planning to attend, as we will of course be toasting his life afterwards with drinks and canapes.  RSVP lucy.pite@yahoo.com

Thank you to all those who clearly knew and loved him and who have written the many beautiful messages we have received.  It is evident from those that it was not just us who thought he was a very special and wonderful person.  I look forward to celebrating his life and one day to seeing him again in heaven.