Mother's eulogy for young Mason

Last goodbye to Mason

The family of young E.coli victim Mason Jones have released a tribute to him as his funeral is held.

Mason, aged five, of Deri, near Bargoed, died at Bristol Children's Hospital after falling ill in the outbreak spreading across south Wales.

The eulogy is written by his mother Sharon Mills and also from his father Nathan Jones and the rest of his family.

Mason, a pupil at Deri Primary School, died early on 6 October.

My son Mason was my Christmas gift, he was born on 24 December 1999.

He was beautiful, eight pounds nine-and-a-half ounces, he was such a bonny little boy, with beautiful brown eyes and a smile that would just melt your heart.

As he started to develop his own little character, Mason was so enjoyable to watch, he had the wickedest laugh and the most mischievous face.

I can recall his first words as any mother can with her child (dada). But I was overcome with emotion when he first said mine, for Mason didn't call me mammy he called me mama.

From the moment he woke up to the moment he went to bed he would pack so much into his day

That was from his favourite cartoon character, 'Little Bill'. I loved it from the very first time he said it, he made me feel so special. As Mason grew a little older he became the most loveable child you could ever wish to be associated with.

He was so, so handsome, full of life and very determined and independent. He lived his little life to the full. From the moment he woke up to the moment he went to bed he would pack so much into his day.

It would exhaust me just watching him.

He started school at Deri Primary in September 2003. He loved school (well sometimes). He was a great mixer who could just go into any room and make friends.

Even though it broke my heart when he first started, he wasn't bothered in the slightest. From the moment he started school he found himself a little girlfriend, Bethany Jones, they were inseparable.

They sat together, had a few words to say to the teachers if they were parted, even kissed each other goodbye every day at the end of school. He worshipped her, he even planned to marry her and have five children, Tom, Tommy, Thomas, Dafydd and Mason Junior.

Myself and Beth's mam would always laugh at the way they were with each other. They'll be childhood sweethearts, we'd say.

Nobody can ever take away the pain I feel from losing my gorgeous baby boy

Mason had two passions in life, dinosaurs (which I think everyone knows about) and singing. He loved dinosaurs.

His older brother, Chandler, who he worshipped, would play with them for hours. Chandler used to love them too but Mason's fascination with them was way beyond belief, he probably would have taught the experts a few things.

He also had a love of singing. He loved Katherine Jenkins, all the sing-along dinosaur songs and he loved Tony Christie's Amarillo, Avenues and Alleyways and Daddy Don't You Walk So Fast. He knew them word for word.

When Mason was a baby his voicebox hadn't formed properly. Commonly known as a floppy larynx, it quickly righted itself so we would always say it had overformed because his voice could be heard in another valley, especially when he hit a high note. He had a beautiful little voice, which I will remember forever.

His smile, his laughter and his cheeky loveable ways will be forever in my heart.

There will be a big, big hole in all our lives which can never, ever be filled, especially for his dad and myself and of course his brothers, especially Chandler, who he was inseparable from and his baby brother Cavan, who he called the chocolate monster. Unfortunately Cavan is 11 months old, still too young to remember him.

Nobody can ever take away the pain I feel from losing my gorgeous baby boy. My only comfort now is that one day we will all once again be together forever.

Love you always Mason.

Mason was a Christmas gift/ Especially for me/ I'd hold him tight to comfort him/ I loved him so much you see

He was my light when times got dark/ He'd take away the pain/ All he had to do was smile/ And the sun would shine again

He'd make my life worth living/ Give me strength to carry on/ Without his shining presence/ I have no will to carry on

I loved my son so much you see/ And now my world is dark/ For now my precious boy is gone/ And along with him my heart