By CAMERON LUCADOU-WELLS
SHAUN Wilson-Miller, the boy who moved more than a million people with his online farewell, will be remembered in a fund-raiser at his former school, Carwatha College in Noble Park.
Shaun, 17, died last Saturday week after his body rejected a second heart transplant.
A HeartKids Victoria ambassador, he had intended to revisit his former school last week but had cancelled just days before he died.
The school’s students are now planning a ‘free dress’ day and sausage sizzle next week to raise money for the HeartKids Victoria charity, which helps young heart patients and their families.
Shaun, who was born with a congenital heart defect, was universally popular at the school.
Principal Bronwyn Hamilton said Shaun was a “remarkable young man who touched the lives of our students, teachers, office staff, teaching aides with his positive attitude”.
Soon after his second transplant, Shaun wouldn’t be denied, throwing himself into basketball and phys-ed classes.
“He said: ‘I’m going to get in and enjoy myself’,” Ms Hamilton recalled.
After he moved away from Dandenong with his father Cameron, Shaun returned to the school to thank and farewell a select number of staff.
“He came with written notes and gave a speech of how these people had helped him at the school. It showed what sort of young man he was.”
Ms Hamilton said the school community was shocked by Shaun’s “final goodbye” video posted on YouTube last month.
On the video, Shaun announced to family and friends his body had rejected its second heart transplant and he “won’t be here for as long as I thought”.
He urged his loved ones to “live life to the fullest because you never know what’s going to happen”. As of late last week, it had been viewed more than 2 million times.
“His legacy will live on because of his impact on other people,” Ms Hamilton said.
Shaun’s funeral service will be held at the Plenty Ranges Arts and Convention Centre in South Morang tomorrow.
A disco-comedy event at Luna Park – one of Shaun’s final wishes – is on at Luna Park at 6pm on June 15. It features comedians Chris Franklin, Doug Chappel, Greg Fleet and others. Proceeds go towards completing Shaun’s book for HeartKids Victoria.
Details: lunapark.com.au or epodcentral.com.au/shaun.
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