A family is mourning a double tragedy after a man died alone in the United States and his mother, overwhelmed by grief, collapsed and died just days later in Kenya.
According to reports, Patrick Kariuki, a Kenyan based in Azusa, Los Angeles County who served as a former US Marine and was a father of four children, died by suicide.
Reports of his death were first posted by Wanderlust, who were looking for any Kenyan who could identify him and help.
According to the reports, Kariuki had been living with a Grade 4 brain tumor, enduring memory loss, confusion, and intense pain.
His final days were marked with isolation and silence. He had lost his first wife in 2017, with whom he had sired three children. The children, all grown, are chasing their own paths.
He then married his second wife, a Filipino, with whom they had a daughter. It is unclear how they separated by she was also not in the picture at the time of his death.
The emotional toll of these losses, compounded by his illness, pushed Patrick to the edge. He left behind a note expressing his love for his only son, Lawrence and his lastborn daughter, a toddler.
His body was found by authorities. His phone contained only one contact info, that of Lawrence, whom they had kept in contact with from time to time. No one had claimed his body, and the authorities had resorted to cremating him, until Lawrence showed up.
Although he lived in Las Vegas, Lawrence had kept a close knotted conversation with his father, and when he learnt of his father's death, he stepped in to ensure he would not be buried without dignity.
The tragedy for the family deepened when Kariuki's mother died days later. She had just escorted mourners who had come to comfort her when she collapsed.
Kariuki's death in the US follows another recent death where a Kenyan, Evans Kibiwott Kangogo, was found dead in his Seattle apartment in Washington, United States.
His body was found after colleagues raised concerns when he uncharacteristically missed work for three consecutive days.
