A north-east man who defied expectations by living beyond his teenage years has been warmly remembered following his death at the age of 30.
Ben Gray was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis – a genetic condition which affects the lungs – when he was two and was told he wouldn’t live beyond 19.
But the Laurencekirk man, who “never let his condition rule him”, lived well beyond that point – packing plenty of trips to football matches and concerts into his life.
His mum, Isabel Addison, speaking to the Evening Express said: “The best thing about Ben is that he didn’t let his condition rule him.
“He never said ‘why me?’ or ‘it’s not fair’ – he just got on with it. He knew he wasn’t going to have a long life but he wanted to have a good one.”
Mr Gray was relaxing at his home on the afternoon of September 29 when he suffered breathing problems and called his mum, who alerted 999.
However, he died before paramedics could save him.
Ms Addison added: “Whatever Ben set his mind to he accomplished. Since he died I am discovering just how popular he was, with lots of messages from his friends. I am so proud of him.”
As a boy, he attended Broomhill Primary School and Harlaw Academy, where he developed a skill in computers.
He worked in IT for companies including Weatherford Oil and Energy, the Wood Group and CGI. Mr Gray was also a season ticket holder at Pittodrie.