HOEDSPRUIT – Troy Matthysen (19) passed away on October 29 after a years-long battle with Nasopharyngeal Angiofibroma, a rare tumour diagnosed in 2021.

In letters addressed to Troy, his father, Jeff, and little brother, Eli, wrote:

Jeff writes:

Heaven gained a beautiful soul; our beloved son and brother, Troy Matthysen, was called home.

There are no words to describe the pain of losing you, Troy. It feels as though a piece of our hearts has been taken away. We never imagined having to face a world without you, and the thought of not seeing your smile, hearing your voice, or sharing another moment with you is simply heartbreaking.

As your dad, I wish I could have kept you here with us forever. There is a part of me that wants to be selfish and ask God why He had to take you so soon. But I know you were a precious gift from Him, and although our time together was far too short, I am grateful for every moment I was blessed to have with you. I find comfort in believing that God had a greater purpose for you, even if that purpose is beyond what I could ever understand.

Eli writes:

I don’t even know where to begin because I miss you so much.

I keep thinking about all the memories we made together. I remember when we got our first PlayStation. We were so excited! We would spend hours and hours playing games together. You would play Call of Duty while I played Marvel’s Spider-Man. Those were such special moments, and I wish we could go back to those days.

Then came your iPad, and we found even more ways to spend time together. We would stay up late and wake up early just to play Call of Duty Warzone and Call of Duty Mobile. I loved those moments with you. You were so good at the games, and you taught me so much. I always enjoyed playing alongside you, even when you were better than me!

You were such an amazing big brother. You made even the simplest moments special. I am going to miss our games, our jokes, and all the time we spent together.

I love you so much, big brother. I miss you more than words can ever explain.

Read our previous coverage of Troy’s journey

• Hoedspruit family appeals for help as Troy fights on
• Hoedspruit teen’s family shares heartbreaking update
• Hoedspruit teen Troy faces new health scare
• Bleeding causes major setback in Troy’s health
• Troy out of danger
• Troy’s health still at risk
• Troy’s surgery is a success
• Plea for help to save Troy’s life