The mother of a young man described as the 'light of her life' is mourning his brutal killing, which came just hours after he received news of a university place that promised a brighter future.
A Phone Call No Mother Should Receive
Marsha Whitely's world shattered when she received a call from a paramedic on 1 December. Her 22-year-old son, Micah, had been injured and she needed to rush to Northwick Park Hospital. "I could hear screaming in the background," Ms Whitely told Metro. "It was a phone call no mother wants to receive."
After an agonising wait at the hospital, a doctor delivered the devastating news with the words, 'we did all we can'. Arsenal fan Micah had been stabbed in a post office doorway in Wembley after leaving an appointment at Specsavers. A police officer at the scene had performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation in a desperate attempt to save him.
A Life Full of Promise Cut Short
Ms Whitely described her son as a caring and positive young man with everything to live for. He had received a letter of acceptance to study business at university that very day. Micah had been working in construction, taking driving lessons, and building a future for himself.
"He was the light of my life," his mother said. "He lit up a room, he was a joker and a doting family boy. He loved Arsenal and had loads of friends." She recalled an incident where Micah had rushed to help a woman who collapsed on the street, calling an ambulance. "That's the sort of person he was," she added, noting he had also cared for her after she suffered a stroke when he was a teenager.
A Campaign for Change and a Family's Grief
The tearful police officer who tried to save Micah later visited the family home. "He gave my son mouth-to-mouth resuscitation, he did his best," Ms Whitely said. "He was crying when I saw him. I thanked him for all he did."
Now, Ms Whitely is planning to campaign against knife crime and has been in contact with London Mayor Sadiq Khan. "The level of violence on the streets is terrible and the number of bereaved families like us is heartbreaking," she stated. "We need to take action. It will not bring my son back but I want to make a stand that this knife crime must stop."
Kevon Jenkins, 22, from Brent, has been charged with Micah's murder and possession of a knife. A 21-year-old woman arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender has been bailed pending further inquiries. A GoFundMe page has been set up to support Micah's grieving family.
