Hackney family bury 10-year-old who died from a heart attack
Family and friends attend a funeral service to 10-year-old Kaikaine Slater at the City of London Cemetery & Crematorium. - Credit: Archant
Hundreds of people turned out for the funeral of “smiling and happy” 10-year-old who died suddenly of a heart attack.
The funeral white carriage for 10-year-old Kaikaine Slater, who died of a heart attack on February 25th. - Credit: Archant
Kaikaine Slater of Dublin Avenue, London Fields, collapsed at home while he was on his half-term break. Although doctors at Royal London Hospital managed to restart his heart, he was later transferred to King’s College Hospital where doctors told the family he was brain-dead. His life-support machine was switched off on February 25.
Kaikaine’s funeral, which followed a horse-led procession from his home to the City of London cemetery and crematorium in Aldersbrook Road, Manor Park, was attended by hundreds of mourners including fellow pupils at St Elizabeth Primary School in Bonner Road, Bethnal Green, who were given the day off.
Many wore green t-shirts emblazoned with Kaikaine’s photo and a touching poem.
His mother Jolene Slater, said: “I’m devastated. It’s not fair. He was only 10. He was starting his life.
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“I know his grandparents who have gone before him will look after him but I want him here to look after.
“You feel so guilty when it’s your child. As a parent you are supposed to protect them and fix everything.”
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Although Kaikaine was diagnosed with a rare condition affecting his immune system aged four, it is not thought to have caused his heart attack.
Ms Slater continued: “Because I would give him his weekly infusion of antibodies and give him physiotherapy twice a day, I would spend more time with him than anyone else. It’s a big part of my life gone.
“He was lovely. He got on with everyone. His school said he was such a kind child. He was a TV addict and I remember when he was seven he told me he had blue-prints for a time-machine.”
Grandmother Sonia Slater, 52, said: “He was a lovely boy – always smiling and happy.
“He was so cheerful. If you saw him you would never think anything was wrong with him. He was full of energy.
“He wanted to be a scientist when he grew up and most of his hobbies revolved around planets and the solar system.
“He wanted to build a time-travel machine and bring back people who had died to their families so they could be together.”
David Purcell, headteacher at Kaikaine’s school where a memorial shrine to him has been established, said: “We were very very shocked to hear of his death. While he was a child with a number of health problems it was very unexpected and a dreadful shock for all involved.
“He was a very caring, very gentle and very loving boy. He was popular and will be greatly missed.
“Our school family is very much poorer without him.”
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