Family members of road accident victim Arai Joell-Johnston have expressed their thanks to the community for easing what has been a traumatic journey.

Arai’s mother Maria, who was studying in Rhode Island when she received a call last week to tell her about the accident, said she was “extremely overwhelmed and extremely grateful” for the love and support that she and the family had received.

Arai’s first cousin Murricea Iris said they wanted to thank Arai’s “extended family”, including the football team he played for, Dandy Town, the Midlands Heights Seventh-day Adventist Church, which contributed to the cost of the funeral, Pastor Damon Hendrickson, and the “Berkeley Institute family”.

Ms Iris also thanked Warwick Gombey Troupe, which Arai (right) performed with. The troupe acted as honour guards at his funeral and they performed at the wake.

“Arai’s mom also wanted to give a special mention to his friends,” Ms Iris said. “A lot of them were with him at the accident and they have been grieving as much as family, but supportive as well.

“She says she is extremely overwhelmed and extremely grateful for all of the love that she has received; it has made the process a bit easier for her.

“We have had food provided for us daily since the accident. We are so grateful to the community — we haven’t had to do anything other than have a funeral.”

Speaking of how her family were coping, Ms Iris said: “The family is taking it pretty hard. Arai came from a very close-knit family — he had five brothers and sisters, and seven other cousins, but we all came up as brothers and sisters. The term cousin was purely technical for us.

“We were raised in the same house, we lived together for all our childhood.

“We are finding peace and comfort in each other. No one wants to be alone. The healing process has just started now that we have been able to lay him to rest.”

• Contributions to Arai’s funeral donation fund can be paid into his cousin Murricea Iris’s HSBC account, 010-728285-016.