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27 January 2014

Alliance urges prayer for family of Daniel Spargo-Mabbs

The mother of a teenage boy who died after taking ecstasy for the first time says she is praying that God will bring about good from the tragedy.

Daniel Spargo-Mabbs from Croydon, died last Monday, aged 16, after taking drugs at a rave in west London. Daniel was taken to hospital in the early hours of Saturday after he became unconscious at a party in Hayes, and died two days later.

Daniel, who grew up in Alliance member church Emmanuel in Croydon, was the son of Tim and Fiona and brother to Jacob. In more recent years Dan’s attendance at church had tailed off, though he continued to be involved with the youth work, to demonstrate a vigorous and questioning spirituality, and was about to start a youth Alpha course at Emmanuel.

A statement from the church said: “The church community are deeply saddened by the news of Dan Spargo Mabbs' death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his parents Tim and Fiona, his brother Jacob, and their wider family and friends. We hope that in the coming months we can show the same kindness, generosity and care to the family as they consistently show to others.”

Speaking to the Alliance, his mother Fiona said: “I don’t know how people cope with this without faith.”

“There were hundreds of people around the world praying for him to be healed. But God answered the biggest prayer of my heart, which was that my boys would come to know and love Jesus. Sometimes God answers a bigger and better prayer. I absolutely know that he went to be with Jesus.”

The family have been coping with a high level of media interest, but are hoping that their story will help save lives.

“We’ve never had to deal with the media before and sometimes I just wish it would stop. It feels like we’ve lost him a bit in all of this because he’s public property now. I want him back in every sense.

“But we know that we just want to get the message out; for people to be aware; for parents to know that this could happen to their child. It could be you.”

“There could be lots of good things that could come out of this and we pray for God to bring something good and use it to stop other kids from ending up in the same place.”

On Thursday, two men appeared at Uxbridge Magistrates’ Court charged with supplying Class A drugs following Daniel’s death. They will next appear on 5 February.

The family wants to make it clear that there is no hatred, only forgiveness, towards anyone involved in the supply of the drugs and the chain of events that killed Daniel.

“God’s got Daniel,” Fiona said. “God is so in it and God is so good that He blessed us with this lovely boy for all those years and that was just amazing.”

The Alliance is calling on its member churches to pray for the Spargo-Mabbs family: for peace and comfort in this difficult time; for wisdom and protection for the family as they deal with the media gaze and for the grace to speak hope in the midst of tragedy.

Fred Drummond, the Alliance's director of prayer, has written the following:
Gracious God, you are our rock and shelter.
You surround us with your presence in times of joy and sadness.
In Jesus Christ our lord you have experienced pain, sorrow, isolation and sadness.
You know our suffering.
Yet through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus you have shown us that death has lost its sting.
Hope overcomes despair, life overcomes death and light overcomes darkness.
We pray for all those who deal with grief today. Who face life without a loved one.
Lord even in the midst of tears and sorrow may they know your presence surrounding and sustaining them.
We ask that the hope of Jesus may bring comfort and the presence of Jesus may bring peace.
Amen