MONTEGO BAY, St James — Though Claudette Graham is obviously shaken by the death of her 23-year-old son Collin, she has found solace in the fact that he lived his life as a young Christian.

Collin, a morgue service worker at Delapehna’s Funeral Home, and his friend Lionel Dehaney died on Monday night following a single vehicle crash along the Bogue main road in St James. According to Collin’s mother, the men were on their way home after choir rehearsal when they met their demise.

Upon hitting a wall along the major thoroughfare, both men were thrown from the Toyota Premio motorcar in which they were travelling. The police and emergency services were called and the two were taken to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where they were pronounced dead.

Shortly after the crash, heartfelt tributes flooded social media platforms as Collin’s friends and family learned of the tragic ending of his life. But according to Graham, while the news of her son’s passing has hit the family very hard, they are trying to celebrate and find joy in the life he led.

“I just can’t say much right now because of how I am feeling, but he was just a bundle of joy. If you were ever down in spirit, he was a young man who knew how to bring you happiness. He was also a worshipper and that is the beauty about it,” Graham said, while sharing that Collin sang in churches across western Jamaica.

She told the Jamaica Observer that while she still does not understand what caused the fatal car crash which claimed the lives of her son and his friend, her faith in the Lord has been her guide through this traumatic incident.

“All I can recall is that… it was brought to my attention that he met into an accident. I really don’t know what happened, all I know is that he is gone. His number was called, and he is now out of here,” Graham said in a sombre tone.

She continued, “The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh, so therefore I cannot let my heart be troubled. Being human, of course I feel it to my core, and I do have my breakdown sessions where I cry and scream, but we give God the praise.”

Collin’s actions during his last days are also a source of comfort for the grieving mother who told the Observer that she is very proud that her son had ministered through music to congregants just days before he died.

“He was just a very jovial youth and I just want to remember him that way. I don’t really want to remember or think about his very last moment,” she said.

“What I think about is that on Friday he was at a concert and on Sunday he was at another church singing in Askenish, Hanover… and boy, heaven came down and glory filled his soul,” said Graham, who noted that videos from those two events have been making the rounds on various social media platforms.

“You know what thought came over this morning? They were probably in high spirits coming from choir practice on Monday night and the Lord just decided to usher them home. I can’t tell and nobody else can tell what happened or what their last words were, but the spirit told me this morning that based on the high spirits that they were in, the Lord said it was time for them to come home. That is how I view it, just to keep peace,” Graham told the Observer on Wednesday.

Acknowledging that her young son’s friend also tragically passed away in the car crash, Graham extended her condolences to his family.

“I don’t know if Lionel’s mother is alive, but I know that if she is alive then every part of her is supposed to be in pain because of this accident. I just want to send out condolences to the Dehaney family and I will just pray for their strength,” said the grieving mother.